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墨書 Inktalez
The night was deepening, and it was time to head to the café again.
As the Cheng Sisters were closing the café and turning to leave, they spotted Guo Zhiqian across the street at the corner.
Guo Zhiqian walked over to Cheng Yuyao and said, "Yuyao, I have something to tell you!"
Cheng Yuyao replied, "Go ahead!"
Guo Zhiqian hesitated slightly, "I... I only want to tell you alone!"
Cheng Yuwan thought Guo Zhiqian was about to confess his feelings to her sister and suggested, "Sister, you talk to Guo Zhiqian. I'll head out first! I’ll be waiting for good news!"
Without waiting for Cheng Yuyao's response, Cheng Yuwan cheerfully walked away, leaving Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao at the café entrance.
Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao strolled slowly down the street.
Cheng Yuyao asked, "So, what happened when you were chasing the kidnapper?"
"I... I wanted to talk to you about that. Well..." Guo Zhiqian hesitated at first but finally mustered the courage to reveal what had been troubling him for a long time. "The kidnapper is my biological father!"
Cheng Yuyao stopped in her tracks, staring at Guo Zhiqian in disbelief.
Guo Zhiqian continued, "After that, I thought for three days before I dared to bring this up in front of you. I know he has been doing bad things in your name, and you all hate him deeply. Now he has kidnapped the chairman of Qilin Pharmaceutical; I don't know what other terrible things he might do in the future—I want to help atone for his sins and stop him with you!"
Cheng Yuyao looked at Guo Zhiqian in shock. "The person impersonating us to kidnap children is Guo Zhuanghuai? He also kidnapped Zhou Junsheng?"
"Yes," Guo Zhiqian confirmed. "Not only do I know this, but I've also seen the missing person notice posted by Zhou Junsheng. Your mother is Cheng Shuhua, and you and Cheng Yuwan are Zhou Junsheng's daughters."
Cheng Yuyao gazed at Guo Zhiqian in disbelief as he continued. "Before this, I simply thought you were 'the Thorned Rose.' I had followed you before with the intention of capturing you and turning you into the police for the sake of public safety. But gradually, I realized that you are different from those thieves. You only robbed those illegal drugs from the port and then destroyed them at home. You rob from the rich to help the poor and have assisted many impoverished people."
Cheng Yuyao asked, "When did you start following us?"
"From the first time I visited your café."
Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian looked at each other. Cheng Yuyao realized that the situation regarding Zhou Junsheng's kidnapping by Guo Zhuanghuai was serious, so she said to Guo Zhiqian, "I need to discuss this with my mom."
Under Cheng Yuyao's persuasion, Guo Zhiqian finally agreed to follow her to the Cheng Sisters' home to discuss the matter with Cheng Yuwan and Cheng Shuhua.
At the Cheng Sisters' home, the Cheng Sisters, Cheng Shuhua, and Guo Zhiqian sat together.
Guo Zhiqian said, "Even though I swore to sever ties with him when my mother passed away, he is still my biological father. He is committing sins, and everything he does fills me with a deep sense of guilt. I want to atone for my sins, so I want to help rescue Zhou Junsheng with you."
Cheng Shuhua looked at Guo Zhiqian with suspicion and asked, "So your biological father is Guo Zhuanghuai?"
Guo Zhiqian nodded without hiding it. "Yes!"
Cheng Shuhua pressed on, "Do you think atonement is that simple? Even if you rescue ten Zhou Junshengs from him, you cannot redeem him from a lifetime of sins! Cheng Yuyao, stay away from people like him in the future!"
With that, Cheng Shuhua walked into the inner room. Clearly, seven years ago, under the orders of Zhang Zhaolin and Tao Gongjin, Guo Zhuanghuai had injected a biological toxin into Cheng Yuwan, forcing them to flee their home—a grudge that Cheng Shuhua could not let go of even now.
Guo Zhiqian lowered his head in shame, and Cheng Yuwan comforted him. "It's okay; my mom has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. I'll go check on her; you and my sister wait outside for a moment."
Cheng Yuwan went into the inner room.
Cheng Shuhua sat angrily in front of the Buddhist altar and complained, "Your sister really is something; she brings home the son of an enemy. Does she not care about me as her mother?"
Cheng Yuwan replied, "Mom, even if Guo Zhuanghuai is a thug from the Tao Pharmaceutical Group and kidnapped our father, Guo Zhiqian is not like his father! Guo Zhiqian is a good person; he even saved you and my sister! If he wants to join us, please let him!"
Cheng Shuhua retorted, "Guo Zhuanghuai is not just a thug from the Tao Pharmaceutical Group; he was the one who injected you with that 'biological' toxin seven years ago! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had to flee to Europe with you sisters and would not have lost your father until now!"
"Mom, this is ultimately a grudge from the previous generation."
"How can this be just from the previous generation? This incident happened directly to you, and you are still suffering from the effects of that toxin!" Cheng Shuhua still could not accept Guo Zhiqian from her heart.
Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian sat outside and listened clearly to the conversation between Cheng Shuhua and Cheng Yuwan inside.
Guo Ziqian apologized to Cheng Yuyao, "I really didn't expect that your family is also a victim of my father's actions."
Cheng Yuyao was very understanding, "Those things were done by your father; they have nothing to do with you. Don't blame yourself too much."
Guo Ziqian still lowered his head in shame.
Cheng Yuwan walked out from the inner room. She looked disappointedly at Cheng Yuyao and Guo Ziqian, clearly indicating that Cheng Shuhua's decision had not changed. With no other choice, Cheng Yuyao had to escort Guo Ziqian downstairs.
Cheng Yuyao said to Guo Ziqian, "Don't take my mother's words to heart."
Guo Ziqian asked with guilt, "Do you know my father is Guo Zhuanghuai? Will we still be friends in the future?"
"Of course! Your father is your father, and you are you!" Cheng Yuyao replied cheerfully.
Guo Ziqian paused on the stairs, looking gratefully at Cheng Yuyao, "Thank you! Although your mother doesn't agree to let me join, I will still investigate Zhou Junsheng's whereabouts. You can just take me here; I'm leaving now!"
With that, Guo Ziqian walked down the stairs.
...
At the police station, in the chief's office.
The chief stood while answering a call from his superior. On his desk lay a newspaper with the headline "Earthquake in Shanghai's Pharmaceutical Industry—Zhou Junsheng Kidnapped and Still No News."
"Yes... I will definitely solve this case as soon as possible to mitigate its impact on Shanghai's economy... Yes... Yes... Yes, I will find Zhou Junsheng within three days and severely punish the kidnappers!"
The chief hung up the phone, feeling troubled as he took off his police hat and rubbed his bald head while sitting down in his chair.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
As Tao Ziwen pushed the door open, the Sheriff quickly stood up and asked, "How's the investigation going?"
Tao Ziwen replied helplessly, "The kidnappers seem to have evaporated into thin air; there has been no contact with the Cheng Family."
The Sheriff expressed his concern, "Could it be that enemies are seeking revenge and have killed him?"
Tao Ziwen reassured him, "That shouldn't be the case! If they wanted to kill him for revenge, why didn't they do it at Sanlitang? Why go through all the trouble of kidnapping him?"
The Sheriff pressed on, "What about the situation with Cheng Shuping?"
Tao Ziwen explained, "He has sent many subordinates to search the city, hoping to find some clues."
The Sheriff finally expressed his disappointment, "Zhang Dashuai just called me and insisted that I solve the case by tomorrow!"
Tao Ziwen said awkwardly, "If the kidnappers don't show themselves, whether it's three days or thirty days, we won't be able to solve this case!"
Suddenly, the Sheriff remembered that Tao Ziwen was Zhang Dashuai's prospective son-in-law and leaned in closer to him. "You have a good relationship with Zhang Jie. Why don't you ask her to take you to the Supreme Commander's house? You could talk to the Supreme Commander and maybe get some leeway."
"Sheriff, this..."
The Sheriff quickly interrupted, "I know what you're thinking. If you don't help me out, after three days, I'll have to step down as Sheriff!"
Seeing the Sheriff's dejected expression, Tao Ziwen finally nodded. "Alright, I'll go to Zhang's house tonight."
That evening, Tao Ziwen made an unexpected visit to Zhang's house, which delighted Zhang Xin. From the entrance, Zhang Xin pulled Tao Ziwen along until he reached the hall before letting go of his hand and asking, "Ziwen Ge! What brings you here today? Are you missing me?"
Tao Ziwen replied directly, "No! I need to see Zhang Dashuai!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xin's expression changed immediately as he pushed Tao Ziwen away. "My father isn't home; come back another time!"
Just then, Zhang Zhaolin entered the hall from a side door and laughed upon seeing Zhang Xin making things difficult for Tao Ziwen.
Zhang Zhaolin said, "Xin'er, stop making things difficult for him. He won't pay attention to you anymore!"
When Zhang Xin saw Zhang Zhaolin arrive, she reported to him about Tao Ziwen, "He has never paid attention to me! When I was at his police station, he didn't even talk to me. When we went shopping or singing together, he was always distracted."
Zhang Zhaolin asked Zhang Xin, "If he dares to treat you this way, why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had told me sooner, I would have sent someone to bring him over and teach him a lesson for you!"
"I didn't want you to catch him!"
Zhang Xin's playful remark made Zhang Zhaolin chuckle with delight.
Tao Ziwen hurriedly greeted Zhang Zhaolin, saying, "General, I came here today to discuss something with you."
Zhang Zhaolin replied, "What is it? Speak freely."
Tao Ziwen explained in detail, "It's about the case of Zhou Junsheng being kidnapped. This case is under my investigation, and the kidnapper of Zhou Junsheng is likely the same person involved in the recent child abduction cases. This person is highly skilled and meticulous. After kidnapping Zhou Junsheng, he did not demand money from the Cheng Family like other kidnappers do. Therefore, I suspect that his motive for abducting Zhou Junsheng may be similar to that of the recent child abductions."
Zhang Zhaolin pretended not to know, "A kidnapper who doesn't seek money? That's a first for me. What do you think his purpose is in abducting these children and Zhou Junsheng?"
"Recently, a boy who had been missing for several days returned home. When I arrived after hearing the news, the boy's skin had turned a dry yellow color, his veins were bulging, he had an increased appetite and strength but had lost his ability to speak. I can assert that this child must have undergone some human experiments by a group of illegal individuals."
"Are you saying that someone in Shanghai is conducting illegal human experiments?"
"Yes! Zhou Junsheng is a well-known pharmacist in Shanghai's pharmaceutical industry. That group must have hit a bottleneck in their experiments and urgently needs a talented pharmacist like Zhou Junsheng to join their ranks."
Listening to Tao Ziwen's analysis, Zhang Zhaolin's expression darkened significantly, as if he had been stripped of his dignity.
Zhang Zhaolin asked Tao Ziwen, "How do you know all this?"
Tao Ziwen replied, "I deduced it."
Seeing Zhang Zhaolin's furious expression, Zhang Xin was afraid he might do something to Tao Ziwen and quickly tugged at Zhang Zhaolin's arm, calling out, "Daddy! Daddy!"
Zhang Zhaolin ignored Zhang Xin and continued to ask Tao Ziwen, "So what do you want to discuss with me today?"
Tao Ziwen finally made his intention clear: "The case of Zhou Junsheng is under my jurisdiction, and the chief only gave me three hours. Just three, and I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to find out who the real culprit is and where Zhou Junsheng is hidden. Therefore, I would like to kindly ask the General to give our chief a call and request an extension."
Zhang Zhaolin then realized, "Oh. So that's why you came to see me! This is indeed a significant matter concerning the pharmaceutical industry in Shanghai, and we must have a resolution in a short time to minimize its impact on the industry."
Zhang Xin shook Zhang Zhaolin's arm and said, "Daddy, if you let Ziwen solve the case so quickly, he won't have time to play with me anymore!"
Zhang Zhaolin comforted his daughter, "Alright, alright. For my good daughter’s sake, I’ll extend it a bit more. How about five more hours?"
"No way! Ten!"
"Fine, ten it is!"
"Thank you, Daddy!"
Zhang Xin gave Zhang Zhaolin a quick kiss on the cheek and bounced over to Tao Ziwen, linking her arm with his: "Ziwen Ge, if ten hours isn't enough, I'll ask my daddy to extend it to twenty or thirty. How does that sound?"
Tao Ziwen hurriedly replied, "Ten is enough! General, I’ll take my leave now!"
Zhang Zhaolin suddenly said, "Hey, from now on, don’t call me General anymore! I’m a few years older than your father; just call me Uncle from now on!"
"This..." Tao Ziwen looked troubled.
Zhang Xin encouraged him, "My daddy wants you to call him Uncle; just do it!"
Seeing Tao Ziwen's hesitation, Zhang Zhaolin didn't press further: "Alright, you can head back now!"
"Okay. Goodbye, General!" Tao Ziwen turned and walked out of the Zhang family hall, disappearing into the night outside.
Zhang Zhaolin said to Zhang Xin, "Zhang Xin, if Tao Ziwen doesn't have time to play with you in the future, just tell Daddy and I’ll ask the chief to give him an extended break. How about that?"
"Alright! Then you should call the sheriff right now and don't let Ziwen Ge investigate Zhou Junsheng or any missing children cases, okay?"
With that, Zhang Xin ran over to Zhang Zhaolin and lay in his arms, acting cute.
"You little rascal!" After poking Zhang Xin's forehead with his finger, Zhang Zhaolin became pensive. "If one day, I have to kill your Ziwen Ge, would you be sad?"
"I won't let you kill Ziwen Ge!"
"What if I don't kill him, but he kills me instead?"
Zhang Xin looked up at the inexplicably melancholic Zhang Zhaolin. "I won't let you kill Ziwen Ge, and I won't let Ziwen Ge kill you either. Dad, why are you suddenly asking such strange questions?"
Zhang Zhaolin replied, "I just wanted to see if you care more about Ziwen Ge or about your dad!"
Zhang Xin hugged Zhang Zhaolin tightly. "I care about both!"
Clearly, in front of her father, the innocent Zhang Xin did not realize the deeper meaning behind his words.
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