Chapter 202: 202: Luo Family father and daughter set a trap, cleaning up the ss Chapter 202: 202: Luo Family father and daughter set a trap, cleaning up the ss He asked, “Besides Luo Qinghe, who else was a murderer?”
Peng Xianzhi did not answer imdiately, he hesitated and then said, “She directed . She’s the only one I know about.” Additionally, he paused for a mont before adding, “Luo Huaiyu knew about it. Before I agreed to Luo Qinghe’s request, I had consulted with him.”
Indeed, Luo Huaiyu could not escape involvent.
Jiang Zhi asked, “What did he say?”
Peng Xianzhi shook his head. “He said nothing. He was just an observer.”
An observer?
Jiang Zhi tapped his fingers on the table, rhythmically making a sound. “It’s a sche to use others to do one’s dirty work,” he speculated.
“The second matter,” Jiang Zhi continued in an unhurried tone, “Record a statent, and when the court convenes, you will testify as a witness.”
Peng Xianzhi hesitated.
Jiang Zhi was in no hurry and said leisurely, “Believe it or not? If you don’t agree, you won’t live to see the court date.”
If he didn’t agree, it wouldn’t just be the Luo Family that wouldn’t let him go, but also the inscrutable young master of the Jiang Family. Peng Xianzhi said, “I’ll do it.”
He might be making a deal with a tiger.
And Jiang Zhi was that tiger.
There was a third matter, he said, “Go et Luo Changde. Whatever he says, do it.” His tone was composed but it carried a command.
Peng Xianzhi did not understand. “What do you an?” He wasn’t siding with the Luo Family.
Jiang Zhi did not explain, “You don’t need to know this, you just need to obey.”
Their ten-minute eting ti was up.
Jiang Zhi got up and left the eting room. In the corridor outside, two people approached him, a prison guard and a handcuffed prisoner.
The guard nodded at Jiang Zhi and then stepped aside to light a cigarette.
The handcuffed prisoner, tall and sturdy, looked around before walking up to Jiang Zhi and respectfully calling out, “Mr. Jiang.”
This man was the scarred thug who had punched Peng Xianzhi in the stomach the day before—a gang leader with plentiful underlings and significant status in Western Prison.
Why should a top dog listen to Jiang Zhi?
If he didn’t, Jiang Zhi would make sure he wouldn’t survive long—it was a big fish eating a small fish!
“Spread the word, no one touches Peng Xianzhi.”
The gang leader responded, “Understood.”
That sa afternoon at four o’clock, Luo Changde made a trip to Western Prison.
Right on his heels, Luo Qinghe received the news.
“Younger Luo,” Shen Yue stepped forward and said, “Mr. Luo has gone to Western Prison.”
Luo Qinghe, who had been reviewing docunts, stopped and looked up, a wave of emotions in her eyes. “Peng Xianzhi agreed to see him?” She had tried several tis but had always been refused.
Shen Yue nodded.
Imdiately, Luo Qinghe got up and quickly exited the office.
After she had left, Shen Yue made a phone call, “Mr. Jiang.”
Winter days were short and nights long. At just past five o’clock, the sun had already set.
At Jiang Zhi’s place, a new hanging swing chair had arrived that day, which Zhou Xufang had ordered online. She had given it a five-star review and posted pictures; she particularly liked it and had also placed a pink blanket and pink pillows in it.
“They are father and daughter after all. Will they really destroy each other?” Zhou Xufang swung in the hanging chair.
The chair was too small to fit two people. Standing beside it, Jiang Zhi felt it wasn’t sturdy enough and worried about her falling, so he kept a steadying hand on it.
“If there’s no conflict of interest, Luo Changde might consider his paternal bond, but if Luo Qinghe poses a threat, it’s a different matter entirely,” Jiang Zhi asked Zhou Xufang, “What would you do if you were Luo Qinghe right now?”
Zhou Xufang, holding a pink rabbit pillow, thought for a while, “Surrender.”
Currently in a weak position, Luo Qinghe could not afford a direct confrontation; surrender was the only option.
“To protect oneself and to secure a lasting peace, just surrendering isn’t enough,” Jiang Zhi said. “She needs to buy ti to gather strength and acquire more bargaining chips.”
Luo Qinghe wasn’t one to just allow herself to be captured. Knowing Luo Changde felt guilty, she would definitely fight back.
Zhou Xufang kicked her legs while swinging lazily in the chair, thought for a mont, and then asked Jiang Zhi, “Would she use a ploy to feign injury?”
Jiang Zhi said, “She would.”
Ding.
Zhou Xufang opened a can of milk. “Then what do we do?” She had stocked the chair with a lot of milk and cotton candy.
Because of the snacks, Jiang Zhi couldn’t fit in.
But still, she kept them there… he would just have to crouch.
Just as she was about to drink her milk, Jiang Zhi took the can away from her, “You can’t drink any more. You’ve had too much today.” Drinking too much ant she hardly ate her als.
“Oh.”
She would sneak so more later.
Jiang Zhi drank her milk and then answered her earlier question, “If she uses feigned injury, we use ‘divide and conquer.'”
He had thought through every possible outco and co up with strategies for each, manipulating these people and letting them fight among themselves, all with ease.
Zhou Xufang stopped talking and just watched him, intently gazing.
Jiang Zhi, feeling tempted to misbehave under her gaze, licked his lips. Suddenly finding the taste of milk too bland, he rather felt like kissing her, “What’s wrong?”
“Who taught you?” she asked.
“Hmm?” He didn’t understand.
“You’re very scheming,” Zhou Xufang initially wanted to say he was very deceitful, but she didn’t want to upset Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi finished the milk in the can, tossed it into the trash can with perfect aim, and declared, “Old Madam taught .”
His parents had died early, and he had been raised from a young age by Old Lady Jiang.
“When I was seven or eight, she took under her wing,” he said. “Jiang Xiaolin and the others all had tutors, but I didn’t. She taught herself, teaching all sorts of things about getting away with murder.”
He had indeed surpassed his teacher in craftiness.
Being taught plots and sches at the age of seven or eight—Zhou Xufang couldn’t fathom it, “Why did she teach you these things?”
“Old Madam said: to protect myself.”
But a child of only seven or eight, still learning to write, already learning to protect himself seed too early, too rushed.
Why? Wasn’t he her most beloved grandson?
“If it were , as long as I had the power to protect you, I wouldn’t let you resort to such tactics so early,” she would have carefully hidden and protected him, at least letting him have a carefree childhood.
“Getting away with murder, could it be…] she looked at Jiang Zhi, “that she also wanted to use you?”
If that was the case…
Jiang Zhi was at a loss for words, unable to respond.
“Jiang Zhi.”
“Mm.”
Zhou Xufang stretched out her hand.
Jiang Zhi walked over, took her hand, and knelt in front of her.
She placed her other hand on his head, touching his soft hair, “Maybe your grandmother doesn’t truly love you.”
Maybe she’s sharpening her knives.
Jiang Zhi looked up, pressing his face into the palm of her hand, gently rubbing against it, “I’m not sure.” he said, “I only know you do.”
She nodded vigorously, “Yes, I do.”
Old Lady Jiang’s world contained too much, so there were losses and gains. Zhou Xufang was different, she had only Jiang Zhi, she wouldn’t give him up, because to give him up would be to give up everything.
Jiang Zhi hooked his arm around her neck, pulled her closer, and kissed her—mm, a taste of milk.
Western Prison.
When Luo Changde ca out, it was already dark outside, and he had just reached the entrance road when a car parked by the roadside turned on its headlights.
“Dad.”
Luo Qinghe got out of the car, “I’ve been waiting for you for a while.”
Luo Changde was montarily surprised, “You really have a way of finding things out.”
She neither confird nor denied, cutting straight to the chase, “Did Peng Xianzhi confess everything to you?” Without waiting for Luo Changde to speak, she guessed, “He probably did.”
Luo Changde neither admitted nor denied.
“Do you also have a recording? Are you going to send in next?” Her tone was unusually calm, she neither pleaded nor negotiated.
Luo Changde retorted sarcastically, “Aren’t you also investigating ?”
“Do you think if I found sothing, I would really send you in?” she smiled, “You have a bunch of daughters outside, you don’t lack this one, but I don’t have a bunch of fathers outside.”
Luo Changde remained indifferent and stopped her, “Don’t try to appeal to family emotions with , just stop investigating that issue and I will too.”
He said and walked away.
Luo Qinghe still stood there, took out a lighter, and lit a cigarette. The phone rang, she answered, and the voice on the other end asked, “Younger Luo, should we stop?”
She exhaled a ring of smoke and said, “Continue.”
About half an hour later, Luo Changde’s car had entered the highway. The road leading to Western Prison wasn’t busy, and it was even quieter at night.
Aside from Luo Changde’s car, there was only a van in the opposite lane.
Suddenly, the van changed lanes.
Luo Changde’s pupils sent shockwaves through his body, and he slamd on the brakes.
Screech—
The car slid several ters, almost hitting the guardrail; Luo Changde’s forehead banged against the steering wheel, instantly erupting in anger, he yelled outside, “How the hell are you driving!”
The back doors of the van opened, and four n got out, all tall and muscular, wearing masks and hats; one of them shouted, ‘Brother Jin,’ then the driver’s door opened and another two n got out.
Brother Jin was their leader, the shortest amongst them, also wearing a mask and a hat, his face unclear, dressed mismatchedly in jeans and leather shoes, apparently quite young.
Luo Changde felt uneasy, sensing sothing was wrong, “Who are you?”
Brother Jin chuckled, stepped on the back seat of the van, half his body diving in, and ca out with an iron rod, which he carried on his shoulder, chewing gum in his mouth.
He said, “Poor people.” He weighed the iron rod in his hand, walked over, and tapped Luo Changde’s car window; his voice sounded young and rowdy, “Mr. Luo, spare so money for us to spend.”
Luo Changde’s heart skipped a beat, “What are you doing?!” These people were obviously prepared!
Brother Jin spat out the chewing gum, put his hand behind his back, wiped off so sweat, switched hands, then gripped the rod with both hands.
“You—”
“Clang!”
The rod swung down, shattering the car window into pieces.
At nine o’clock that evening, Luo Qinghe received a strange phone call.
“Hello.”
The person on the other end asked, “Are you Luo Qinghe?”
A man, probably young.
“That’s .” Luo Qinghe asked, “Who are you?”
The man spoke roughly, “It doesn’t matter who I am, more important is who your father is.” He asked, “Is Luo Changde your father?”
Luo Qinghe humd in acknowledgnt, waiting for what would co next.
Before anything more was said, a scream ca from the phone, then the man asked, “Did you hear that?”
It was Luo Changde’s voice.
Luo Qinghe checked the number and location, then started recording, “Kidnapping for ransom?”
The ‘kidnapper’ chuckled, “Talking to smart people really saves energy.”
Luo Qinghe listened, still calm, “Let talk to my dad.”
The ‘kidnapper’ warned against any tricks before switching to Luo Changde.
“Qinghe.”
Luo Qinghe asked, “What’s going on?”
Luo Changde was frantic, speaking rapidly, “They want money, just give it to them.”
Just money?
Could it be that simple?
Luo Qinghe asked again, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine now, don’t call the police, whatever they ask, just pay them.” He spoke quickly, urgently instructing, “You must co and redeem—”
The phone changed hands.
The kidnapper was back, “All set?”
It was precisely this timing that unnerved her.
“Na your price.” Luo Qinghe said.
“What’s the rush, I have to give you ti to prepare,” the man hardened his tone, “Wait for my call, and rember, don’t call the cops, or you’ll be waiting to collect your father’s corpse.”
He hung up after that.
The van was still parked by the roadside; he turned off his phone, threw it into the river, and instructed his brothers, “Tie him up, and gag him.”
“Right, Brother Jin.”
The ‘kidnapper’ was called Da Jin, his subordinates all called him Brother Jin, and although he was the youngest by age, in the underworld, the toughest was the boss.
Da Jin switched to a different phone and dialed, “Sister Xiang.”
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