The Favored Heiress
Chapter 523: Is the Charlman Family That Powerful?

Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Is the Charlman Family That Powerful?

Li Qiao kept a straight face and made up a story, "I’ve heard they’re formidable and wanted to see for myself."

Such a response was absolutely unbelievable to Su Moshi.

He chuckled and patted the back of Li Qiao’s head, "You should listen to Fourth Brother and not be curious about them; the Charlman Family holds an extraordinarily exalted and very mysterious status.

It is rumored that several top blue-blooded nobles once tried to join forces to oust the Charlman Family from the British Imperial elite.

They believed that the Charlmans’ bloodline was impure, not being native British Imperial people, and even stirred up the public to criticize their Asian-descent faces.

After a bout of strife, the Charlman Family emerged unscathed, while those nobles who had joined forces went bankrupt overnight and have not yet recovered their strength."

Li Qiao’s pace halted briefly, her lips curving meaningfully as she said, "They’re that formidable?"

Su Moshi also stopped in his tracks and turned slightly to the side, "A family that can claim the top-tier ducal title despite being foreigners, how could they not be powerful?

Especially since a few years ago when the eldest son of the Charlman Family returned to inherit the ducal position, to this day no one has seen him.

Think about it, in this developed information society, with a network environment spanning the globe, not a trace of him can be uncovered.

Some even speculate whether this person truly exists at all.

Although I do not know why you are interested in them, it’s better to keep your distance from them if it’s not necessary, understand?!"

Su Moshi, who had roamed the British Imperial territory for years, naturally had clearer and more thorough knowledge and observations about the Charlman Family than others.

"Mmm," Li Qiao replied noncommittally.

Su Moshi looked at her indifferent expression and couldn’t help feeling a headache, "Even if you’re just humoring me, could you at least show a little interest?"

Li Qiao tossed her juice cup into a trash bin nearby, glanced at him, and said "See you tomorrow," before heading towards the parking lot outside the town.

Su Moshi stood still, watching her and the bodyguard’s departing figure, hiding the smile on his lips, his fingertips twitching twice before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Old Dog, has Qi Zai ever asked you to look into the Charlman Family?"

The Old Dog on the other end stiffened his neck, "Su Yidao, don’t be disrespectful, who are you calling ’Old Dog’?"

Su Moshi chuckled, "You, who else could it be?"

Shen Qingye was choked up by his response and snorted twice, "Charlman Family? Sounds familiar. Is that the ducal family with the surname Xiao?"

"That’s right, did Qi Zai have a feud with them?"

Shen Qingye composed himself and didn’t withhold any information, directly revealing the incident of the younger son of the Xiao Family framing Li Jun.

After hearing this, Su Moshi frowned deeply with a modicum of concern flittering through his eyes, "I see."

When Shen Qingye had helped Li Qiao investigate the ducal family with the surname Xiao previously, he never came across any useful information, and it was only later that he learned they held a legitimate ducal title.

But after the incident with Li Jun was resolved, Li Qiao never mentioned it again, and he hadn’t followed up either.

Thinking it over, Shen Qingye suddenly became anxious and pressed, "What’s the matter? Is Xiao Qi Zai in trouble?"

Su Moshi turned and strolled back, his voice calm and low, "No, I was just asking."

"Oh," Shen Qingye’s tense voice relaxed slightly, "So, is there a problem with that Charlman Family? Should I continue looking into it?"

Su Moshi narrowed his eyes slightly, "I reckon... you won’t find anything."

Shen Qingye immediately became annoyed, "Huh, are you underestimating the strength of the Sixth Bureau or my reputation as the ’Intelligence Dog’?"

"You can try if you don’t believe me."

Li Qiao had mentioned before that Shen Qingye’s father was once part of the British Imperial MI6, but only afterward did he establish the Sixth Bureau.

With such a precedent, Director Shen of the Sixth Bureau probably didn’t dare to include any information about the Charlman Family in their intelligence site.

And Su Moshi’s hunch was later confirmed.

Shen Qingye couldn’t find a shred of information on the Charlman Family throughout the entire Sixth Bureau system.

Even more secretive than the formerly mentioned Female Stock God.

...

Meanwhile, Li Qiao and the bodyguard had left the Medical Alliance; she sat in the car, staring at her phone screen deep in thought.

She had arrived in the British Imperial nearly twenty hours ago, and Shang Yu hadn’t noticed yet?

They had just exchanged messages on WeChat not long ago, chatting idly for a bit. He hadn’t even asked, as if he had no clue.

Could the locator in her watch be broken?

Li Qiao curled the corner of her mouth, glanced at the mountain path outside the window, casually took a photo, and tossed it to him on WeChat.

However, he didn’t reply.

Li Qiao guessed he might be busy. Since his arrival in the British Imperial, they had kept in touch, but each interaction was always brief.

Even phone calls never lasted more than three minutes.

He had said he would return to the country on Wednesday, which was tomorrow.

Li Qiao propped her arm under her head as a cushion and leaned back in her chair, pondering over meeting him.

...

At three in the afternoon, the car returned to the hotel.

As soon as Li Qiao entered, she went to the study, turned on the computer provided on the desk, entered a web address, and without any hesitation, logged in using the username and password of scapegoat Li Shaoquan.

A few minutes later, she dug out Liuyun’s location.

It was on the other side of the city from her current position.

Li Qiao zoomed in on the marker. Huh? The Royal Hospital?

For a moment, she thought Shang Yu had been injured again.

But then, she considered another possibility—the injured person might be Ou Bai?

After all, her brother Li San had broken his leg.

Li Qiao took a closer look at the location and closed the laptop before leaving the suite again.

...

At the Royal Hospital, in the high-security intensive care unit.

Ou Bai gazed disinterestedly at the ceiling, his left leg suspended in mid-air, and even his face, described as the divine visage of the entertainment industry, was covered in bruises and purple marks.

That ruffian Li San not only broke his leg but also gave him a savage beating without showing any mercy.

In the sofa area across the sickbed, Shang Yu and Charles were sitting and talking softly. Catching a glimpse of the bruised and swollen-faced Ou Bai, Charles sighed, "Don’t worry, Mr. Shang. I will ensure his safety while he recovers."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Yue suddenly knocked on the door and entered.

With an odd expression on his face, he approached the men with his phone in hand and pushed it forward, "Boss, take a look at this."

Shang Yu didn’t take it; he merely glanced casually and asked, "What’s up?"

Wang Yue spoke sheepishly, his voice tinged with nervousness, "I just received a message from back home. Miss Li’s location shows she’s at London Port."

The man abruptly opened his half-closed eyelids, his eyes stormy with intensity, and his tone incredibly deep, "How did she get here?"

If Li Qiao was traveling, there would be a record of the flight details.

Yet he hadn’t received any news.

Wang Yue shook his head woefully, "I don’t know."

He truly didn’t know.

None of the flight records showed Miss Li leaving or entering the country, not in the domestic database nor in the British Imperial’s.

How on earth did she manage that?

Moreover, even if Miss Li’s watch had a location system, the people on the hacker side weren’t tracking her movements 24/7.

They only reported to him when they noticed something unusual.