Free Web NovelChapter 307: Chapter 307: Xiangcheng is So Dangerous
The Cheng Family was one of Xiangcheng’s most prominent families. They lived in a detached villa in Shallow Bay. The three-story, European-style mansion, complete with a lawn, swimming pool, and flower garden, was the very picture of luxury. Several people were patrolling the grounds. Su Qing’s sharp eyes also spotted several others hidden in inconspicuous corners of the yard. They had been staring at her and Li Huan from the moment they arrived, only looking away when they saw Cheng Beize personally escort them inside.
Seeing such a luxurious villa, Li Huan was inwardly astonished. She never would have dreamed that the person Su Qing knew in Xiangcheng was from one of the city’s most elite families!
The Cheng family was small. Besides the Cheng siblings, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng, there was only Second Uncle Cheng.
Now that Cheng Beilin was missing, her parents and Second Uncle Cheng were scrambling to deal with the situation. Cheng Beize had also been run ragged over the past few days. He happened to be back at the house to grab something when he got Su Qing’s call.
"What’s the situation with Beilin?" Su Qing asked anxiously once they were seated at the Cheng residence. They couldn’t speak freely on the phone earlier, and she was extremely worried about Cheng Beilin.
"Beilin was out shopping with a friend when they ran into a gang firefight. She got caught in the middle. She and her friend were abducted by one of the groups." Cheng Beize rubbed his temples. He’d been so worried about Beilin these past few days that he hadn’t been able to sleep.
"Didn’t she have bodyguards with her?" Li Huan chimed in, unable to help herself. ’A family this prominent must have bodyguards, right?’ A firefight... a firefight! It was the first time in her life Li Huan had even heard the term, but it sounded terrifying.
Cheng Beize knew Li Huan was Su Qing’s cousin, so he nodded. "She did, but they were all..."
Cheng Beize sighed. The details were too gruesome, and it was clear Li Huan was a sheltered young woman. Not wanting to frighten her, he didn’t finish his sentence.
Although Cheng Beize didn’t spell it out, Su Qing understood. The bodyguards had all been killed. ’This... seems anything but ordinary.’
"Was Beilin the target?" Su Qing asked.
"I suspect she was," Cheng Beize admitted. "I even think the firefight might have been a trap set for her. The problem is, we have no idea who took her or why. To this day, we haven’t received a single call demanding ransom."
"You don’t have any leads at all?" Su Qing pressed.
"We have a few suspects, but nothing certain," Cheng Beize replied wearily.
"Did you report it to the police?" Li Huan asked quickly.
"We did," Cheng Beize nodded. "We reported it to the police department, but there’s still nothing. It’s like Beilin vanished into thin air. There’s not a single trace. We’re all afraid..."
At this, Cheng Beize anxiously ran a hand through his hair before roughly scrubbing his face. He was terrified that Cheng Beilin might already be dead.
Su Qing pressed her lips together at his words. ’No ransom demand... they don’t want money, they want a life? This has all the markings of a blood feud.’
’Who on earth holds such a grudge against the Cheng Family?’
"Could it be business-related?" Su Qing speculated.
"My parents and my second uncle think that might be the case, but our main business rivals have all been quiet. We can’t see any sign of their involvement at the moment."
"What about the suspects you mentioned?" Su Qing had a gut feeling. ’Maybe the same people who took Wang Xuehong are behind Cheng Beilin’s disappearance, just with a different motive.’
"I suspect the Hetian Association, the Jiu Ying Gang, and the An Family," Cheng Beize said, his lips tightening. "Oh, right, the Hetian Association and the Jiu Ying Gang are two of Xiangcheng’s biggest gangs. They have a hand in both legitimate and illegal enterprises and are very powerful here. The Hetian Association, especially—they’ll do anything for money. They have no bottom line."
Listening nearby, Li Huan felt a chill run down her spine. ’What kind of city is this? Things like this would be impossible in Beijing.’ She suddenly felt that Xiangcheng was an incredibly dangerous place.
