Beg Me to Remarry
Chapter 416: The Unexpected Disappearance of Old Man He

Chapter 416: Chapter 416: The Unexpected Disappearance of Old Man He

Liang Tao rarely visited this office, as he was He Xing’s assistant and spent most of his time following wherever He Xing went.

The office door was ajar. Without knocking, He Xing placed his hand on the door and pushed it open.

Lao Zhou was pacing around the room like a headless fly. Upon seeing He Xing, he rushed over as if seeing a savior: "Young Master, you’re finally here... What should we do now?"

The Chairman’s office was brightly lit, with the computer screen even showing a flicker of standby light, indicating that someone had used the computer not long before. Yet, the office owner was not present.

The He family patriarch had clocked out on time today, but on his way home, he had received a phone call and had Lao Zhou return to the company.

Once back at the company, the patriarch began to work on the computer, and Lao Zhou, worried that the old man’s health couldn’t bear the strain, got his consent to step out to buy dinner.

He was quick, returning in just twenty minutes, but it was during this brief interval that the patriarch disappeared, leaving behind only a note on the coffee table: "To ensure the old man stays alive, get He Xing to prepare 50 million. If you call the police, prepare to collect the old man’s corpse."

Lao Zhou knew that He Xing was soon to board a plane to M Country to find Fu Han, but it was clear that the patriarch’s disappearance was the more pressing matter, so he immediately called He Xing.

After learning the specifics, He Xing promptly instructed Lao Zhou to check the surveillance footage to see if they could find any trace of the patriarch.

Speaking of surveillance, Lao Zhou gave a sigh of helplessness: "The old man always disliked surveillance, feeling as if being watched in a monitored room, so his office had no cameras. But somehow, the cameras in the external hallway had malfunctioned and didn’t pick up any trace of the patriarch leaving."

"Humph, as if there are so many coincidences. It was premeditated," He Xing scoffed coldly, his handsome face seething with rage.

Neither Liang Tao nor Lao Zhou spoke a word; both were deep in thought trying to make sense of the situation, baffled by what had happened.

He Xing settled himself on the couch, tapping the glass coffee table rhythmically with his slender hands. Under the light, his fingers gleamed like polished jade, holding a thin slip of paper - the ransom note the kidnappers had left in the office, its stark black typeface glaringly evident.

The light from above shone down on He Xing’s gelled hair which seemed to glitter. The stark light seemed to put him into a realm of his own, separated from Lao Zhou and Liang Tao by an invisible barrier.

Minutes passed, and at last He Xing raised his head to look at the two men standing before him like statues: "The note says they want money and tell us not to call the police. They will surely contact us. We just need to wait."

Lao Zhou nodded frantically. His entire life had been dedicated to the He family, revolving around the patriarch from the moment he met him. It was no exaggeration to say that even his own children and grandchildren were not as important as the patriarch.

Now that the patriarch was missing, Lao Zhou truly panicked, unsure of what to do; He Xing had become his pillar of stability.

In contrast, Liang Tao hesitated before finally gathering the courage to speak, "Mr. He, do you need me to cancel your flight?"

He Xing’s icy façade showed hairline cracks, as if a dagger had pierced a frozen lake, spider-webbing fractures emanating out in every direction.

His eyes remained piercingly cold, but the paper in his hand was now crumpled into a ball. He heard his own icy voice say, "Call to cancel. I’ll send Fu Han a message."

As he spoke, the temperature in the office seemed to drop. Despite the air-conditioning being on full blast, Liang Tao and Lao Zhou felt as if they were plunged into a frigid Snowland.

Without a word, they knew how terrible He Xing’s mood was, and anyone with a brain knew better than to provoke him now.

He Xing was about to send a message on his phone when the desk phone in the patriarch’s office rang out.

It was the same old phone, with the same ringtone; yet at that moment, the sound was piercingly shrill, akin to a death knell in the dead of night.

Lao Zhou was closest to the phone, so he reached out to answer it.

But He Xing immediately stopped him, "It may be the kidnappers. Let me answer it."

His command froze Lao Zhou’s motion, his hand suspended in mid-air, which he eventually withdrew silently.

He Xing picked up the receiver cautiously, his deep voice carrying through: "Hello. What can I do for you?"

After a few seconds, a harsh and grating voice responded, "You’re He Xing, right? Do you want to save your grandfather?"

He Xing’s frown deepened. He replied curtly, "What do you want for releasing my grandfather?"

"I want 50 million. You have twelve hours to prepare," the caller’s grating voice came again, making the listener’s scalp tingle.

"How can I be sure that my grandfather is with you?" He Xing demanded coldly, his presence commanding and intimidating.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before the caller said, "Wait," followed by footsteps. Soon, the same rough voice said, "Old man, say something to let your precious grandson know you’re alive."

He Xing’s breathing involuntarily halted as he listened anxiously for any sound from the phone, afraid to miss anything. He faintly heard a groan.

Then the patriarch’s voice came through: "You’d better release me quickly. I won’t give you a dime."

His words were abruptly cut off, and a muffled sound followed, as if someone had covered the patriarch’s mouth.

He Xing’s complexion changed drastically, and he raised his voice, "No matter who you are, I warn you, if you dare to harm a single hair on my grandfather’s head, I will make you regret it."

The same unpleasant, rough voice returned: "Mr. He, rest assured, as long as you deliver the money on time, we guarantee we will return the old man unharmed. But if I find out you’ve called the police, we’ll all go down together."

After hanging up, He Xing sat heavily in the patriarch’s leather office chair, his face somber. The chair had a built-in massage feature, which the patriarch rarely used since he preferred massages from Lao Zhou. He Xing, unintentionally activating the function, felt horrible at the thought of enjoying the massage while his grandfather was bound with ropes, and he could not bear to stay seated even a minute longer.