Chapter 552 — It Should Be Fine

"I just finished. What is it, Uncle Chu? Did something happen?" Wei Zhao asked.

"It seems Yaoyao has been kidnapped by Zhong Yongliang. Can you come back right now?" After the trouble with the company last time, Gu Pengzhan had grown used to turning to Wei Zhao whenever he hit something he could not solve on his own. He had already had Uncle Qing look into the matter and tail Zhong Yongliang, but the man had made no further contact with Gu Mengyao, and Uncle Qing had no idea where he had taken her.

The reason Gu Pengzhan had not called the police was that the affair reached too far. First, he was concerned for his daughter's reputation; second, the evidence was still inconclusive, and with Li Cihua standing behind Zhong Yongliang, Gu Pengzhan had no way to strike.

At this level of confrontation, most of what mattered was hidden in the dark; calling the police would never get to the root of the problem. Gu Pengzhan did not yet have the confidence to oppose Li Cihua head-on — the force behind that man was far too powerful! Even when Li Cihua had helped Jin Gubang sabotage the interests of his own company, Gu Pengzhan could do nothing to him.

"Kidnapped?" Wei Zhao was taken aback, half astonished at Zhong Yongliang's nerve! He had not seen it coming — the fellow had some real audacity, daring even to kidnap someone? Then he asked, "Have you called the police?"

"No. Zhong Fabai has lately gotten tangled up with Li Cihua and found himself a rather formidable backer, and for the moment I have no wish to make an enemy of him." Before Wei Zhao, Gu Pengzhan hid nothing and told the plain truth.

Li Cihua again? Wei Zhao frowned. That bastard really would not stay down — he had lost two Yellow-tier experts and still he was leaping about everywhere. Had Wei Zhao not been after a few peaceful days, he would have finished him off in a heartbeat.

"You want me to act?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Yes. You know both Zhong Yongliang and Yaoyao well; the best would be to find her without a sound." Gu Pengzhan said, "The matter is complicated. Once you're back, we'll talk it over face to face."

"All right. I'll head back tonight," Wei Zhao agreed.

The moment Wei Zhao hung up, Feng Xiaoxiao asked, "You're going back? I heard you say something about a kidnapping just now — who got kidnapped?"

"I'll tell you once I'm back. I'm not too clear on it myself." Wei Zhao waved a hand at Feng Xiaoxiao. "I'm off."

"Aren't you going to wait for my father to come back? He still wants to meet his son-in-law." Feng Xiaoxiao was reluctant to let Wei Zhao go so early — this was a good opportunity. Once they were back at school, the relationship between them was bound to shift; even if it ended up a little better than before, it could never be as easy as it was now.

"We'll skip it for now." Wei Zhao had no time to spare for Feng Xiaoxiao; there was real business waiting.

Wei Zhao had no obligation to protect Gu Mengyao, but now that something had happened to her, he could not simply sit by and watch! Because, to this day, he still had not worked out why he had been sent to Gu Mengyao's side in the first place — what in heaven's name he was supposed to accomplish.

Each time he pressed Gu Pengzhan for an answer, Gu was evasive; and from the young lady's own lips, the answer Wei Zhao got was that he was to serve as a human shield! Of course, Wei Zhao did not believe the matter was anywhere near that simple, but he had no other way.

And so Wei Zhao became something like a great steward: whether it was business at Gu Pengzhan's company, the young lady's studies and daily life, or matters over on her best friend Xiao Shu's side, whatever he could help with he lent a hand to, every bit of it! Not only did he act as nanny to the two girls, sometimes he had to double as their bodyguard, and even at school he occasionally had to turn into a hired thug!

Still, as time went on, Wei Zhao grew used to it. The job was complicated enough — from beginning to end it seemed to have nothing to do with him, yet the daily business never stopped coming! If the old man had not promised that the fee for this assignment would be enough to retire on, Wei Zhao would have started questioning it long ago.

The young lady really was a handful — now that she was in trouble, Wei Zhao genuinely could not wash his hands of it! Because it was no longer merely a question of Gu Pengzhan being his employer; Wei Zhao had actually come to feel something for Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu. Living under the same roof day after day, when they ran into danger he would surely not stand by and do nothing.

Though the auction was now over, there was still follow-up business to handle — in particular the sellers and buyers all had to remain behind.

Wei Zhao said his goodbyes to Guan Xuemin and Fatty Lai, then boarded that evening's flight back to Songshan City. Economy class was sold out; only full-fare first class remained, but the ticket had been booked directly by Uncle Qing.

Having stepped off the plane, Wei Zhao spotted Uncle Qing waiting at the domestic arrivals exit.

"Uncle Qing!" Wei Zhao strode over.

"Mr. Lin, you've had a tiring journey!" Uncle Qing said apologetically. "Making you hurry back like this."

"It's nothing. Yaoyao is in trouble — of course I had to come back." Wei Zhao had not expected Uncle Qing to be so courteous; in truth, there was still some guilt in his own heart. After all, Gu Mengyao had come to grief while he was away, and if it came to responsibility, he bore some too! Gu Pengzhan had never explicitly asked him to protect Gu Mengyao at close quarters, only to act as her attendant — but the broader the definition of "attendant," the more tangled the nature of the work.

"Mr. Gu is waiting for you. This way, please." Uncle Qing said nothing more; his position did not suit him to say much.

In the airport parking garage, inside Uncle Qing's Bentley, Wei Zhao found Gu Pengzhan. He had not expected Gu to come pick him up in person; clearly the matter was urgent, and Gu could not wait another moment to see him.

"Xiao Yi, listen to this recording first." Gu Pengzhan skipped the pleasantries and, straight to the point, held out a voice recorder to Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao nodded, took it, and pressed play. Zhong Yongliang's voice came out of the recorder: "Uncle Chu, hello..."

The recording was one Gu Pengzhan had made while Zhong Yongliang paid him a visit, another piece of evidence he had kept. But now there was no need for Gu to trouble himself with a tedious account of the whole affair — the recording said it all.

The moment the recording ended, Wei Zhao's brow knotted sharply! Zhong Yongliang had actually dared to lay hands on Gu Mengyao?

"Uncle Chu, what did you have in mind?" Wei Zhao's first need was to work out what Gu Pengzhan intended.

"Uncle Qing has already looked into it. Yaoyao is not at Zhong Yongliang's home, and Zhong showed nothing unusual today — went to school, came home, all perfectly routine." Gu Pengzhan said, "I thought Zhong Yongliang would find some chance to meet with Gu Mengyao, but he hasn't."

"Heh... then Yaoyao should be all right." Wei Zhao pondered for a moment, then broke into a smile.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Gu Pengzhan was startled; he had not expected Wei Zhao to be so certain.