That evening, Lu Zhao finally saw that in the dark room, the gentleman clearly looked up towards the direction of the cara. In other words, the gentleman was looking at him through the screen.
Lu Zhao understood that this was finally a signal from the gentleman.
Lu Zhao hurried to open the door himself.
Upon exiting, Huangfu Huazhang said nothing and headed towards the room at the end of the corridor.
That room had a sloped roof, making it impossible to stand upright inside, hence it was the most inconspicuous room in the entire bunker, usually just used for storage, even Lu Zhao had never personally entered it before.
However, the gentleman walked decisively, so Lu Zhao quickly followed. Once inside, he realized the room had more than t the eye. The gentleman personally moved a cabinet, revealing an iron door on the floor.
Lu Zhao followed the gentleman inside, unable to help quietly gasping for air.
A stale scent, mixed with the sll of oxidizing tal, hit them.
The gentleman covered his mouth and nose with a scarf, stood still, and looked back at him.
Lu Zhao hurried to pull out a handkerchief to cover his nose. He didn’t dare to directly question the gentleman, instead squatted down to observe closely.
The old wooden boxes, marked with tistamps, made Lu Zhao’s heart leap: "Sir, are these explosives left over from World War II?"
Huangfu Huazhang raised his eyebrows slightly and nodded.
Such old buildings were either the residences of wealthy rchants or the offices of governntal departnts in those days, so naturally, they were prepared for ergencies during war tis. Once breached, the bombs would be detonated, destroying everything and not letting anything fall into enemy hands.
But the desire to destroy everything was never fulfilled; the war ended, yet the old house, along with its hidden explosives, survived through ti.
Lu Zhao’s heart rose into his throat: "For ergencies?"
The gentleman would not show him these things for no reason.
Huangfu Huazhang nodded slightly, said nothing, and walked out directly.
.
The gentleman’s intention was clear, and Lu Zhao went on arranging the final matters.
anwhile, the task of sitting in front of the computer to monitor fell on Li Le Wen’s shoulders.
The gentleman’s intention was naturally to just have him monitor the also detained Tang Yanqing and Xiang Yuan, but Li Le Wen couldn’t help but occasionally open the monitor showing the gentleman’s room.
Although it was dark, he focused intently, gradually noticing the changes over the following days.
The girl’s attitude towards the gentleman had changed.
The initial vigilance and resistance had slowly crumbled, turning into obedient sweetness. It was as if she truly began to treat the gentleman as though he were Tang Yanqing, able to use the sa attitude she had towards Yanqing on the gentleman.
From an outsider’s perspective, it might be seen as the gentleman’s skilled manipulation, finally deceiving the girl.
But Li Le Wen knew differently.
He was more inclined to believe that the gentleman had begun using hypnotic techniques.
He hadn’t been beside the gentleman for years, and was unaware of the gentleman’s hypnotic abilities. However, he had heard from acquaintances in M Country that there was a period when the gentleman was extrely obsessed with this matter, having not only read almost all the literature on the topic but also visited many experts personally.
Until the mont he saw Shi Nian unexpectedly rise on tiptoe and shyly and timidly kiss the gentleman’s lips... he beca even more certain that Shi Nian had lost her own will by this point.
Scenes like this and the unfolding developnts made him increasingly agitated.
.
With everything arranged, Lu Zhao followed the gentleman’s instructions, using Xu Xinzhen to distract Xiang Jingsheng.
This process did not require much complication, just inadvertently revealing that the hospital reported Xu Xinzhen’s situation as very bad, with a risk of collapse at any ti... Xiang Jingsheng couldn’t entirely focus on his son, turning to quietly stay by the hospital instead.
Thus, all situations had been arranged.
Lu Zhao and Li Le Wen received the gentleman’s explicit directive: the following evening, execute the action.
Li Le Wen couldn’t help but ask Lu Zhao: "Why tomorrow night? Why not tonight?"
Lu Zhao smiled slightly, looked at the monitor screen, said nothing, just shook his head.
So things are understood without needing to be spoken.
With the gentleman’s efforts, Shi Nian finally took the initiative to kiss the gentleman’s lips, so how could the gentleman bear to imdiately comnce action? That evening, he wanted to truly be close with her.
Lu Zhao’s silent deanor and the faint smile in his eyes made Li Le Wen’s situation even more unbearable.
.
In the forest outside the bunker, fulfilling Tang Yanqing and Huangfu Huazhang’s expectations, Shi Haoran had indeed co seeking. He had been on guard in the forest for two days and nights to determine if this was the place.
That night, the world was eerily quiet. Although the sky was crowded with countless stars, the moon was nowhere to be seen. Even the usual barking of dogs and crowing of roosters in distant villages and towns had ceased.
In such a remote forest, even the cell phone signal was unstable. Shi Haoran quietly retreated, intending to withdraw far enough to contact the police.
At that mont, a figure suddenly appeared in the forest. Clad in black with a pale face, ghostlike.
Shi Haoran hurriedly gripped his pistol.
But upon seeing the figure’s face clearly, he slightly relaxed.
"Young man, how co it’s you?"
That face, almost identical to his, even made Shi Haoran mistake George for Huangfu Huazhang in the dim night.
George smiled silently. Thanks to the pride of a bastard child, it wasn’t difficult to gather information about a person like him appearing in any village or household. Then, bearing this face, he naturally inquired and learned from the landlord about the eting and conversation that took place between Huangfu Huazhang and "an elderly gentleman covered in dust" that night.
George gently tugged on Shi Haoran’s elbow: "Old man, I’m here to help you."
George led Shi Haoran back into the woods near the bunker and pointed towards a distant structure: "I intended to develop this land, but found an old house still standing here, which seed out of place. I hired soone to discreetly investigate the status of this house and discovered so anomalies recently."
George then turned to Shi Haoran: "Old man, not that the younger generation has sharp eyes, but you are indeed a renowned figure in this city. Even though you intentionally appeared disheveled and covered in dust, I recognized you from the TV news as the police hero who lost his daughter."
Shi Haoran listened, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.
George lowered his head: "It seems like fate brought us together. The night you left without a word, I thought I should do my best to help you. Combining the information about the house and the dia reports from these days, I worried that your daughter might be hidden here."
George pulled out a few photos, all taken from a distance using a telephoto lens, showing indistinct silhouettes of people. Under the faint light, Shi Haoran took a closer look and let out a low exclamation: "I recognize this person!"
He recognized Gu Yong.
After years of repeatedly capturing him, they had long beco old enemies.
The last ti, Gu Yong had cursed him with a contorted face, saying: "You old bastard, if you don’t kill this ti, once I’m out, I’ll definitely kill you!"
Shi Haoran had heard such words nurous tis and didn’t take them seriously. But he didn’t expect that this ti they would indeed co true for Gu Yong.
George nodded satisfactorily: "It seems the information I brought to you was not in vain."
George then pulled out a map like a magician: "My hired investigator retrieved this old blueprint from the archive managent. With this blueprint, everything about the structure of this house is clear."
Shi Haoran was overjoyed, examining it ticulously.
George smiled with satisfaction: "I won’t hide it from you, my investigator also provided crucial information, saying that in recent days, vehicles have been entering and leaving this house frequently, especially tonight, the quiet is unsettling. I’m worried they might have realized soone is investigating, which ans they might transfer the person tonight."
George’s statent coincided with Shi Haoran’s own observations.
Indeed, there had been frequent comings and goings, like Lu Zhao and Li Le Wen.
Shi Haoran took a deep breath: "Alright. Thank you. Please fall back first and help notify the police."
George squinted his eyes: "And what about you?"
Shi Haoran took a deep breath: "I must go and rescue my daughter."
Retreating from here, he couldn’t be sure how far he’d have to go before finding a cell phone signal, and ti was sothing he couldn’t afford to waste, fearing his daughter might be moved again, disappearing like a kite with a broken string. So even though he knew there was danger ahead, he had to go forward.
Many days of ntal and physical exhaustion, combined with guilt and concern for his daughter, had dulled the old man’s vigilance. So Shi Haoran didn’t notice George’s sinister smile in the darkness.
George agreed convincingly: "Alright, rest assured, I will notify the police imdiately. I have a car and can quickly return to the village; the police will also arrive quickly."
George left the forest in satisfaction, coldly smiling as he walked towards his car.
Notify the police? It would be a surprise if he actually did.
Neither Shi Nian nor Shi Haoran had anything to do with George. However, it was different for the bastard child.
If Shi Haoran died at the hands of the bastard child, and if that girl also died at the hands of the bastard child... then after tonight, George would like to see how the bastard child could continue living.
The bastard child watched his mother die a miserable death, powerless to do anything; if he also personally destroyed his own love... tsk tsk, what a pitiful drama that would be.
When the day cos that the bastard child dies in self-loathing and madness, he will make sure to shed a tear of sympathy at the bastard child’s grave.
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