The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 275. Bounty Task

Chapter 275: 275. Bounty Task

Shen Qinglan furrowed her brows, thought for a while, and then relaxed them, smiling as she said, "Maybe Fu Hengyi and I are really overthinking it. Uncle, you’ve been injured, you should rest well for now."

Gu Bowen nodded, "I know. By the way, where is your aunt?"

Fu Hengyi spoke up, "We came straight from home and haven’t been back to the mansion yet. How about I give aunt a call now?"

Gu Bowen stopped him, "No need. Your aunt has been looking after me for so many days; she must be tired. Let her rest well."

Meanwhile, the person they were discussing, Fu Jingtong, had locked herself in her room immediately after returning home, taken a hot bath, and lain in bed unable to sleep, with everything Gu Bowen had said that day spinning in her head.

She tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep even after Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had come home.

Old Sir Fu wasn’t at home; he’d gone to the Shen Family to play chess with Old Sir Shen.

Shen Qinglan hadn’t seen Fu Jingtong and asked Aunt Zhao, "Aunt Zhao, where is aunt?"

"She went straight up to her room when she got back, saying she was tired and wanted to sleep, and asked me not to call her."

Shen Qinglan thought for a moment, went upstairs, and knocked on the door, which soon opened, "Aunt, did you wake up?"

Fu Jingtong offered a smile, "I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about something. Come in." Shen Qinglan entered.

"Has Hengyi returned?" Fu Jingtong asked, as she hadn’t seen Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "He’s already back and is downstairs now. We heard uncle woke up, so we went to the hospital to see him. The doctor said uncle is now out of danger, but there’s still a blood clot in his head that has not dissipated. If it doesn’t dissolve on its own and starts pressing on a nerve affecting his life, he might need surgery at any time."

Shen Qinglan repeated the doctor’s words to Fu Jingtong and looked at her, "After uncle woke up, he asked about you. Aunt, do you want to go to the hospital to see him?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Jingtong slowly shook her head, "As long as the doctor said it’s okay then it’s fine. My going won’t make a difference."

Seeing Fu Jingtong’s indifferent expression, Shen Qinglan hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Aunt, regarding the car accident, Hengyi and I actually suspect it wasn’t an accident. It’s very likely it was an act of wanton revenge."

Fu Jingtong suddenly raised her head, gazing steadily at Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, what do you mean by what you just said?"

Shen Qinglan shared their findings and speculations with Fu Jingtong, then said, "Although these are just our speculations, Hengyi and I both feel there’s more than a ninety percent chance it’s true. But we currently have no suspects and no evidence."

Fu Jingtong’s expression grew serious, "Qinglan, this isn’t something to joke about." Premeditated murder and traffic accidents were completely different. If it was just an accident, so be it. But if it was premeditated murder, who knew whether the person behind it, seeing that they hadn’t succeeded this time, might try again.

Shen Qinglan pursed her lips, speaking softly, "Aunt, we wouldn’t joke about this with you. But we all know what kind of person uncle is; the likelihood of him making enemies is very low, so we’ve also lost the direction for investigation."

This was indeed a thorny issue. Fu Jingtong’s brows were tightly knitted, and she didn’t know what to say for a moment.

"Aunt, when you have time, you should still visit the hospital to see uncle. It would be best to accompany him, just in case..." Shen Qinglan didn’t continue, trusting that Fu Jingtong would understand her meaning.

Hearing this, Fu Jingtong hesitated, then nodded, "I understand, aunt. You’ve also been tired these past few days; you should go back to your room and rest. Otherwise, your grandfather will worry when he returns."

Shen Qinglan cracked a slight smile as she emerged from Fu Jingtong’s room, heading back to her own. As she did, she noticed Fu Hengyi on the phone. Listening in for a moment, it seemed to be a call from the military.

Once Fu Hengyi hung up, Shen Qinglan looked at him, "Is there something going on in the military?"

Fu Hengyi shook his head with a smile, "No problem, it was Mu Liancheng on the line. The base is currently selecting a new batch of recruits, and he was consulting me about a few training matters."

"Your leave is about to end, aren’t you going to be responsible for the new recruit selection when you go back?"

Fu Hengyi nodded, "Yes, this recruitment is different from the last one in Beijing Military Region. This time it’s our unit’s turn, and as the squadron leader and chief instructor, I’ll be in full charge. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to come back for quite a long time, and I am so sorry to leave you alone at home during such times."

At those words, Shen Qinglan laughed, "Fu Hengyi, don’t worry about me. The baby and I will be fine waiting for you at home."

Fu Hengyi had always been worried about her, and now that she was with child, it was even more so, "I’ve already discussed it with Grandfather. Once I return to the base, you should move back here. There are more people at home, and I’ll feel more at ease. Aunt Zhao will come here to take care of your meals."

As for Fu Hengyi’s excessive concern, Shen Qinglan felt somewhat helpless but comforted him nonetheless, "Fu Hengyi, it’s really not necessary to go to such lengths. I can handle things on my own, and besides, it’s still early in the pregnancy and it’s not affecting my mobility at all."

"Just do it to give me peace of mind," Fu Hengyi said, bowing his head to kiss her forehead.

Given that he’d played the handsome man card, Shen Qinglan naturally conceded, "Okay, I promise you. Once you return to the base, I’ll move back and stay with Grandfather. I’ll report to you every day about my and the baby’s condition. Is that satisfactory?"

Fu Hengyi kissed Shen Qinglan’s forehead again, "Such a good wife deserves a reward."

Shen Qinglan: ...

**

In a high-end residential complex in Beijing, a man paced up and down the room, his expression restless. He glanced at the phone on the table from time to time, until its ringtone finally cut through the silence. His eyes lit up and he quickly answered the call.

As soon as the connection was made, the man couldn’t wait to ask, "How did it go? Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi haven’t found anything, have they?"

On the other end, a hoarse voice, unidentifiable as male or female and clearly altered, responded, "Rest assured, they won’t be able to trace anything. I told you this matter would remain unknown, do you believe me now?"

At this, the man’s anxiety vanished, replaced with smugness, "Good. It’s just a pity we couldn’t finish off Gu Bowen this time. If he had died, and I leaked that his death was connected to Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, I’d like to see how they would handle it. I don’t believe that the Shen Family, the Fu Family, and the Gu Family would still be able to band together after that."

A sneer surfaced on the caller’s face, "If you had been willing to listen to me and been a bit more ruthless from the beginning, Gu Bowen wouldn’t be alive now."

The man stiffened, and after a short pause, he asked, "Are you certain you’ve taken care of all loose ends? You didn’t leave any evidence, did you?"

"If you don’t trust me, you can check for yourself."

The man bristled, darkened in expression, and said menacingly, "Just make sure it’s all cleaned up. I don’t want this tracing back to me; if I get locked up, you won’t get out of it either."

The caller was unfazed by the man’s words, merely replying, "You can rest assured on that point. Even if I get caught, you won’t. When will you transfer the balance?"

"What’s the rush? I’ll send it to you right away." After saying this, the man hung up the call and swiftly completed the transaction for the final payment. Sitting down, he picked up the glass of red wine from the table and sipped leisurely.

The crimson liquid adhered to his lips, and he licked it off with his tongue, "Shen Qinglan, if I can’t touch you directly, I refuse to believe I can’t affect those around you. I want to see if you can remain indifferent when they start having troubles because of you. Don’t think me cruel—if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have ended up like this today."

He looked up at the wall, which was covered in photographs. If Shen Qinglan had been here, she would have recognized them—all photos of her friends and family, Yu Xiaoxuan, Fang Tong, Gu Yang, Han Yi, Gu Kai, Wen Xiyao, Shen Junyu...

**

Fu Jingtong didn’t appear at the hospital until the third day, and even then, it took Gu Yang dragging her there against her will.

Even though Fu Jingtong was worried about Gu Bowen after hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, she now felt too ashamed to face Gu Bowen and had hesitated for several days, not showing up at the hospital.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Gu Yang rushed over to the Fu Family, and said to Fu Jingtong, "Mom, Dad has been refusing to cooperate with the doctors for days. He keeps yelling that he wants to see you; otherwise, he won’t take his medicine or get injections, not even letting them change his bandages. You better hurry to the hospital. If you don’t, Dad might just torment himself to death, even if his condition could improve."

Upon hearing this, Fu Jingtong hesitated, unsure whether to go, but seeing the look on Gu Yang’s face, which didn’t seem deceitful, she reluctantly followed him to the hospital.

When they arrived, the doctors were in the middle of changing Gu Bowen’s bandages. Seeing his condition, Fu Jingtong realized that she had been tricked by Gu Yang, the rascal. She shot him a fierce look and turned to leave but was caught by Gu Yang.

"Mom, you’re already at the door. Just go in and see Dad. Can you really bear to leave him alone like this?"

"Jingtong, come in." Gu Bowen’s voice came from inside the room; he had already spotted Fu Jingtong.

Fu Jingtong wanted to leave, but Gu Bowen, as if seeing through her intent, said, "If you dare leave, I’ll get out of bed and look for you right now. So what if I end up with a disability, unable to stand up? It’s a price I’m willing to pay."

After hearing this, Fu Jingtong was torn between leaving and staying. She stood there, momentarily without reaction.

Gu Bowen softened his voice, "Jingtong, come in and talk to me."

Gu Yang glanced at Fu Jingtong and pushed her into the room, "Mom, Dad is so earnestly calling for you. Just go in."

The doctor tactfully exited the room, and Gu Yang closed the door behind him. He sat outside, resolved not to let Fu Jingtong come out today.

With no other choice, Fu Jingtong sat down beside the bed, her face cold and silent.

Gu Bowen watched her intently and began softly, "Jingtong, you look pale. Haven’t you been sleeping well?"

Fu Jingtong remained silent.

Gu Bowen reached out and took Fu Jingtong’s hand. She tried to pull away, but noticing the IV still attached, which because of Gu Bowen’s actions had started to bleed back, her expression grew colder. "Don’t you know you’re on a drip? You’re such a big man but acting like a child."

Though she scolded him, Gu Bowen wasn’t at all upset. Instead, he began to smile at Fu Jingtong’s words, "As long as you don’t leave, that’s fine. Jingtong, come back."

Fu Jingtong’s expression tensed, and she remained silent, her eyes downcast.

"If you feel that you’ve wronged me because of that incident, I can tell you I don’t mind. Jingtong, we’re both getting older, and there aren’t many days left in our lives. This car accident made me realize something—if you have me in your heart, and I can’t live without you, then let’s not torture ourselves any longer. The kids are grown, we’re old, let’s stop the struggle."

Gu Bowen paused for a moment, then continued, "You said you’d be with me in the next life, but Jingtong, the next life is too far away. I only ask for this life."

Fu Jingtong remained silent throughout, her head lowered, leaving Gu Bowen uncertain of her thoughts. He just quietly waited there.

After a while, Fu Jingtong softly sighed, "Gu Bowen, you clearly know what happened, why must you..."

Gu Bowen smiled slightly, "Although it might sound pretentious to talk about love at our age, I love you, Fu Jingtong. From the first moment I saw you in my younger years, I fell in love with you. Over all these years, my feelings have never changed. I believe you have a place for me in your heart too. Since that’s the case, why should we waste the rest of our lives?"

Fu Jingtong’s heart felt warm, sour, and astringent. She spoke in a hoarse voice, "But I mind that incident from back then."

"Forget about that incident, Jingtong. It wasn’t your fault. Since it’s an unpleasant matter, why keep dwelling on it day after day? I’ve already said, I don’t mind, and I meant it," he sincerely said.

Fu Jingtong naturally knew Gu Bowen was sincere, but she couldn’t get past that hurdle in her heart. A heart knot of more than twenty years couldn’t be untied just like that.

Gu Bowen looked at her tenderly and countered, "Jingtong, if it had happened to me back then, would you mind?"

Fu Jingtong gave him a speechless glance. How could it be the same for a man as for a woman?

"In my view, it’s the same," Gu Bowen added, seeming to read her mind.

Fu Jingtong fell silent. Gu Bowen held her hand and continued, "Jingtong, the blood clot in my brain hasn’t disappeared yet. Maybe one day it will go away on its own, and then I can continue to wait for you. But if it doesn’t and instead affects my life, I may never come off the operating table once I’m on it."

"Don’t talk nonsense," Fu Jingtong scolded lightly.

Gu Bowen laughed. "I’m not talking nonsense; it’s what the doctors said. Jingtong, life is short, we’ve already wasted so many years, let’s not waste any more. What do you think?"

In fact, having heard all this from Gu Bowen, Fu Jingtong’s heart was already shaken; it was just that some things she couldn’t understand.

"Gu Bowen, do you really want to continue being together with me?" Fu Jingtong looked at Gu Bowen intently, her expression serious.

Gu Bowen’s heart stirred, and he quickly said, "Yes, that has never changed."

"Gu Bowen, I’m not a good wife. I wasn’t in the past, and maybe I won’t be in the future either."

"It doesn’t matter, as long as I’m a good husband, that’s enough. Jingtong, welcome back home."

A glint of crystal passed through Fu Jingtong’s eyes. She turned her head, blinked, and tried hard to hold back the tears welling up.

Although Gu Yang was outside, he was constantly attentive to the movement in the hospital room. Seeing the smiles on Gu Bowen’s face, even without hearing the conversation inside, Gu Yang could guess that Gu Bowen must have persuaded Fu Jingtong.

When Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi arrived, they saw Gu Yang looking extremely joyful.

"What’s got you so happy?" Shen Qinglan asked calmly.

Gu Yang, unable to hide the joy in his eyes upon seeing Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan, said, "Little sister-in-law, let me tell you, my parents have reconciled. I reckon that once my dad is discharged from the hospital, my mom will be coming home with us."

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow; she had thought, considering Fu Jingtong had always refused to come to the hospital, that this matter had no chance. She didn’t expect a turnaround here. Had something happened that she didn’t know about?

Gu Yang beamed, "If I had known this trick would work so well, what was I waiting for all these years?"

Shen Qinglan was speechless and couldn’t help but to strike back at him, "This time, your uncle nearly lost his life before he moved your aunt."

Gu Yang’s face, which had been filled with joy, stiffened. It seemed he too remembered the fear and panic from before, "That’s true. I was scared to death this time, but it’s said that a misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. If not for this car accident, who knows how long it would’ve taken for my parents to reconcile."

In the sickroom, Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen were talking, mostly it was Gu Bowen speaking, while Fu Jingtong occasionally responded. But for Gu Bowen, this was already very satisfying. So, when Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi entered, they saw Gu Bowen’s eyes brimming with a smile.

"Aunt, Uncle," Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi greeted, "Uncle, what happy event happened today to put you in such a good mood?"

Fu Hengyi asked even though he knew the answer.

Fu Jingtong had already withdrawn her hand and, hearing Fu Hengyi’s remark, glanced at Gu Bowen somewhat embarrassedly. Gu Bowen chuckled, "It’s a joyous matter, a matter as great as the heavens. Just now I discussed with your aunt, and when I’m discharged from the hospital, we will go and process our remarriage."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but smile, "Then Hengyi and I must congratulate Aunt and Uncle. Grandfather would definitely be very happy to know this."

Gu Bowen’s eyes were full of smiles, "The old man doesn’t know I’m hospitalized yet. Let’s not talk about this for now. Once I’m better, I will go and tell him myself."

"Alright."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi didn’t stay long in the hospital and soon left. The family of three was enjoying their bliss; there was no need for them to intrude.

Walking out of the hospital, Fu Hengyi glanced at Shen Qinglan, "Are you very happy?"

Shen Qinglan nodded and then suddenly said, "Fu Hengyi, I’ve found that I’ve become softer-hearted now. Seeing lovers finally get together makes me very happy." This was unlike her past self.

Fu Hengyi smiled slightly and replied, "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it’s very good," Shen Qinglan stated. Even though being emotional like this was fatal for an assassin, now she was just Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi’s wife.

Fu Hengyi leaned over to fasten Shen Qinglan’s seatbelt and suggested, "Uncle’s situation is currently at a dead end, so let’s put it aside for now. The person behind this is beyond our reach for the moment, but as soon as he makes a move, we’ll find a way. My leave ends the day after tomorrow, so let’s go watch a movie today."

His breath was close at hand, and upon hearing his words, a hint of reluctance appeared in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "Okay, let’s go now."

Fu Hengyi smiled and took Shen Qinglan to the cinema. This time they picked an art film, and for the first time, they didn’t leave early but watched it from start to finish.

After leaving the cinema, Shen Qinglan gazed at the tall figure beside her, her eyes slightly glazed.

Fu Hengyi cast her a glance, amused. "What are you thinking about to be so lost in thought?"

His deep and magnetic voice snapped Shen Qinglan back to the present. "I was thinking that after our baby is born, the three of us could come to watch a movie together again." Just then, in the cinema, a couple had brought their child to watch a movie, and it was a very heartwarming sight.

Fu Hengyi smiled tenderly, "That won’t be difficult."

After the movie, they had missed the regular mealtime. Shen Qinglan wasn’t very hungry, but for the sake of the baby in her stomach, she couldn’t just skip eating. So, she and Fu Hengyi casually picked a restaurant to dine in. Just as they were about to enter, Shen Qinglan looked thoughtfully in a certain direction, a trace of puzzlement in her eyes.

"What’s wrong?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "It’s nothing. I just thought I saw someone familiar but realized I was mistaken."

Fu Hengyi didn’t mind either. "Let’s go, let’s eat first, and after that, we’ll head home."

But this meal was doomed not to be finished. As soon as the dishes were served, Shen Qinglan’s pregnancy-induced vomiting, which had not troubled her for some time, started up again.

Seeing Shen Qinglan vomit until bile was coming up, Fu Hengyi was filled with heartache. Forget about eating, he took her straight home.

When they got home, Shen Qinglan hadn’t thrown up again on the way. As they passed a late-night snack shop, Shen Qinglan suddenly spoke, "Wait a moment."

Fu Hengyi looked at her, and Shen Qinglan said, "I want to eat that." She pointed at a shop on the side of the road—a porridge place.

This was the first time since getting pregnant that Shen Qinglan had expressed a desire to eat something. Fu Hengyi pulled over to park, and they went to eat.

But even before they entered the shop, Shen Qinglan still glanced in a certain direction, then withdrew her gaze.

After the two finished eating and came out, Shen Qinglan swept her eyes around as if casually.

In the car, while driving, Fu Hengyi said, "We’re being followed."

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "I’m not sure, I just have this feeling, but I didn’t see anyone."

"Then let’s not worry about it for now. Whoever it is, if they are targeting us, they will definitely show up."

"Okay, I know." Shen Qinglan didn’t have a clear understanding of the identity of the follower, so she had to put it aside for the time being.

The next day, Old Sir Fu still found out about Gu Bowen being hospitalized. Fu Jingtong had let Aunt Zhao know to make a soup for Gu Bowen when she returned home, and that was how Old Sir Fu heard about it.

Old Sir charged into the hospital and upon seeing Gu Bowen lying in the hospital bed, his eyes took on a tinge of coldness, "How did you end up in a car accident all of a sudden?"

Gu Bowen gave a smile and comforted him, "A driver was drunk and caused a pile-up. Just injured my arm and leg a bit, I’ll recover in a few months. I wasn’t even going to tell you to avoid worrying you, but I ended up disturbing you anyway."

"What are you talking about? You’re in the hospital, how could I not come to see you?" Old Sir Fu glared.

Seeing that Fu Jingtong wasn’t there, Gu Bowen spoke softly, "Dad, I’m actually glad I had this car accident." Seeing that Old Sir Fu was about to glare again, Gu Bowen quickly explained, "Jingtong has already agreed to come home with me. As soon as I’m discharged, she’ll remarry me."

Hearing this, Old Sir Fu’s retort got stuck in his throat, he looked incredulously at Gu Bowen, "Are you serious, Jingtong is willing to remarry you?"

Gu Bowen nodded with a smile, "Dad, would I joke about this with you?"

"Good, good. A blessing in disguise, this accident turned out well," Old Sir Fu clapped his hands and laughed heartily, clearly very happy.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi walked in just in time to hear Old Sir’s last sentence. Fu Hengyi couldn’t help saying, "Grandpa, if Aunt hears you say that, she’s going to be upset with you."

Old Sir Fu was unconcerned, "Even better if she knows. She should hurry back to the Gu Family. Always fluttering around in front of my eyes, dictating what I can or cannot do, it’s been utterly maddening."

"Dad, whom are you talking about?" came Fu Jingtong’s voice from the doorway.

"Talking about you, bossing around like a housekeeper, you’ve left me with no freedom at all," Old Sir Fu complained.

Shen Qinglan’s lips curled into a light smile, her eyes full of mirth, "Grandpa, once Aunt truly goes back, you’ll start to feel lonely."

Old Sir Fu huffed lightly, "Not at all, aren’t you still here? Qinglan, you can’t be so controlling over me, you know. I’m already of such an age, not many years left to live, yet I can’t eat this or touch that—half the pleasures of life are gone."

Shen Qinglan just smiled and remained silent.

Although a normal car accident led to Fu Jingtong and Gu Bowen reconciling, the mastermind behind the incident still needed to be investigated. Strangely enough, both Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan had exhausted their connections, but they hadn’t found a single clue. The drunk driver claimed to know nothing, and the lost surveillance video was nowhere to be found, turning the investigation into a case with no leads.

Shen Qinglan lay on the sun lounger on the balcony, frowning deeply. Fu Hengyi handed her a glass of honey water, "Stop thinking about it for now. We’re in the thick of things, and the person behind the scenes is being extremely careful. There’s unlikely to be any results. Maybe after some time passes, we’ll find out."

It was like that night when Shen Qinglan felt someone following her, yet she saw no trace of the pursuer.

"I always feel like there’s a big hand manipulating everything behind the scenes, Fu Hengyi, and it makes me uneasy," Shen Qinglan said, her voice laced with worry.

Fu Hengyi gave a slight smile, "No need to worry. Whatever is meant to come will come. Even if the sky falls down, I’ll still be here to support it for you."

Shen Qinglan was not reassured and said, "Be careful once you return to the military. If you have any missions coming up, be even more cautious, and think of me and the baby."

Fu Hengyi squatted before her and gently touched her face, "For you and our child, I will certainly take good care of myself. I know you are worried about King, but rest assured, when it comes to a one-on-one fight, King may not be my match."

Shen Qinglan obviously believed this, but King had been silent for too long, and such silence wasn’t a good sign. Her instincts were not wrong, but it wasn’t Fu Hengyi who ran into trouble — it was Eden.

The very afternoon Fu Hengyi left, Shen Qinglan unexpectedly received a call from Cissily, who said that Eden had been injured.

It turned out that on his way home the night before last, Eden had suddenly encountered several men from the streets. They had attacked him without a word, each of them skilled in a way that did not resemble ordinary street thugs, but rather like individuals who had undergone training.

Eden was originally one of the weakest among them. He was outnumbered, and if Andre hadn’t arrived in time, it’s probable that Eden would have suffered more than just an arm injury.

"Do you know who did it?" Shen Qinglan asked in a heavy tone.

Cissily wore a grave expression, "It was BK’s men. One of them had a BK tattoo on his body. We suspect King found out about Eden’s involvement in the incident at MD, and that’s why he targeted Eden."

During their last mission to MD, aside from Eden, Cissily and Andre, being public figures, had made a few changes to their appearance with lots of people around, which made it hard for anyone to recognize them. Fu Hengyi and the others, following Cissily’s suggestion, had made similar changes, so even Ryan now might not be able to recognize them.

Naturally, Eden became the prime target.

"Could there be a traitor within KA?" Shen Qinglan speculated. After all, they had destroyed King’s temporary stronghold, and it was heard that a new group came afterwards and took out his men. That meant, apart from Shen Qinglan and her group, only KA’s people knew about it.

"An, do you think it could be Ryan?" Cissily hesitated before speaking. If it were Ryan, everything would make sense—after all, he was the one with the most inside knowledge.

"No," Shen Qinglan immediately dismissed the idea, "Eden and Ryan share a life-and-death camaraderie. If Ryan had wanted to do this, he wouldn’t have helped us from the start. Besides, when it comes down to it, Ryan was also involved. Given King’s vindictive nature, he definitely wouldn’t let Ryan off if he knew this. If my guess is correct, the problem is likely to be a traitor inside KA who leaked the information to King. Ryan must also be in trouble."

Shen Qinglan’s guess was not wrong; Ryan too was currently in a great deal of trouble. In just three short days, he had encountered three separate groups trying to kill him. If not for his good luck, he might have already met God.

At KA’s headquarters, Ryan sat at the head of the table, staring coldly at the people kneeling on the floor, "Eugene, who gave you the courage to betray me?"

Eugene remained silent, fully aware of the consequences when he had done the deed. But he had been left with no choice. King had grown suspicious of Ryan and, without any evidence, took the opportunity to abduct his wife and child, using them to coerce Eugene into confirming Ryan’s involvement in certain matters.

It turned out that King was in luck because Eugene was precisely the person who knew the truth. As Ryan’s right-hand man, he was privy to many secrets, though the identities of just a few people like Fu Hengyi remained unknown to him, not to mention to Ryan himself.

Eugene looked at his wife and young child. With no other options, he had no choice but to disclose everything to King. Yet his confession did not secure the lives of his wife and child—they died right before his eyes.

"Eugene, I’ve always treated you well. We’ve been through life and death together all these years. I can’t understand why you betrayed me. Can you tell me why?" Ryan asked.

Eugene continued to hang his head. Having lost his wife and child and betrayed his brother, he should have already been dead. Yet King just wouldn’t kill him.

The dark muzzle of a gun pointed at Eugene’s head. Ryan looked at him, his gaze icy cold, "Eugene, if you don’t speak up, I’ll shoot you right now."

"Just shoot me," Eugene finally spoke his first words of the day. "Kill me."

Ryan’s gaze grew even colder. "You think I don’t dare?"

"No, you dare. I betrayed you; I deserve what’s coming to me. Even if you kill me, I have nothing to say."

Ryan’s finger rested on the trigger—a gentle press would end Eugene’s life. His eyes slightly narrowed as he noticed a wound on Eugene’s shoulder—a wound Eugene had suffered saving him just yesterday. Had it not been for Eugene taking the most lethal bullet for him, Ryan might not have been standing there.

With a gun to his head, Eugene’s expression was numb, seemingly indifferent to the imminent threat. Ryan lowered the gun and spoke with a deep voice, "Get out of here. From now on, don’t ever show your face to me again. If I see you a next time, you can go meet God."

Eugene looked up, gazed deeply at Ryan, muttered an apology, and then turned and walked away.

Ryan sat in his chair, head propped up, unsure of what to do next. King was a madman, a biting madman no less. It hadn’t mattered before, but now that King was aware he played a part in the destruction of his base, the matter wouldn’t end easily. Fortunately, ever since that incident years ago, he had sent his children to a safe place that only he knew.

Ryan’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk. After a while, he said, "Contact King. Tell him I want to talk business."

The subordinate below acknowledged and left.

Ryan then made a phone call to Eden, finding out that he too had been targeted in an assassination attempt, which further convinced Ryan that King was undoubtedly seeking revenge.

**

After understanding the situation, Shen Qinglan said, "For now, let Eden find a safe place to recover from his injuries. Leave King to me."

Cissily’s face changed color. "An, what are you planning to do?"

With a cool gaze, Shen Qinglan replied, "I won’t put myself in danger. Don’t worry." After finishing, Shen Qinglan hung up the call.

Now that King was aware of the situation’s connection to Eden, he would not let it go easily. The best course of action was to deal with King completely. However, as the head of BK, eliminating him would be no easy task. The only alternative was to keep him busy so that he wouldn’t have time to spare.

Shen Qinglan entered his study, turned on the computer, and logged onto a website. If Jin Enxi were here, he would recognize it as a forum from their world, used specifically for posting and accepting jobs.

After posting the job, Shen Qinglan logged off and stepped away.