LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 750-759
Chapter 750: Too Late for Regret
“Do you really think you are the He Lan family’s young master? To tell you the truth, Father has never treated you as his son before, you are nothing but a dog he raised out of a moment of compassion! And now, he wanted to have you put down, so you already have no right to live! This is what you get for betraying us!”
He Bin widened his eyes in shock. “What did you say? It is him that…”
“That’s right, it was Father that signed your death sentence because of your betrayal. However, do not worry because I will definitely keep you alive to let you understand what the meaning of torture is…” He Lan Qi laughed happily and wickedly but He Bin’s face was a sheet of white paper; his world was crumbling. He really did not expect his father, who he trusted so implicitly, who he was willing to believe he had nothing to do with his mother’s death, would treat him thusly.
He had told them everything honestly, but they still doubted him. They did not even give him any chance to explain himself. They condemned him so easily without even wanting to hear his side of the story.
So, I am really nothing but a dog to him… So many years I have slaved away to win his affection and he thought I am just a dog barking to get his attention.
He Bin hated himself then, hated himself for not heeding Xinghe’s advice. She had told him openly, this would be his ending, but he stubbornly closed himself to the truth. He Lan Chang was his biological father; he would not treat him so cruelly. However, reality gave him a sound slap.
He Bin had worked for years under He Lan Chang; he should have known how heartless his father could be, so how could he did not see the reality that was right in front of his face?
Even an outsider like Xinghe could see the reality that was facing him. He Bin was blinded by his own loyalty and faith; he had no one but himself to blame for his end. However, it was too late for regrets…
Because He Lan Qi would not let him go easily, he would torture him until death. He Bin had surrendered to his fate, he would not see the light of day again.
…
Xinghe had been following He Bin’s situation. Ever since he left the airport, she had been tracking him using the road surveillance. Even after he was brought into He Lan villa, her surveillance had not stopped.
The He Lan family did not have many surveillance cameras, but they were complete, they were used to prevent outsiders from breaching into their family grounds. Even though Xinghe was not inside the villa personally, through the cameras she could see every corner of the house clearly.
Therefore, not long ago, she saw He Bin leave the main mansion and walk towards another smaller mansion that was to the side of the compound. Later, she saw He Lan Qi take a group of men towards He Bin’s room…
Finally, she saw a bloodied He Bin being carried out of his room and whisked away to a basement of a building that was hidden from view.
“He Lan Chang did come after him after all,” Mubai, who was beside her, observed.
Xinghe nodded. “That is to be expected. The fact that I allowed him to return unscathed must have raised some red flags for He Lan Chang. However, I expected his suspicion to escalate over time and I did not expect him to act so quickly.”
“The He Lan family is one paranoid family, even Chui Qian could not find any dirt on them, this goes to show how careful and suspicious they are. Only by being paranoid can they manage to hold up such a pristine appearance to the public,” Mubai analyzed clear-headedly.
Xinghe nodded in agreement because she also had that personality in her. She was always careful, so she could understand He Lan Chang in some ways. However, there was a key difference between them. Unlike He Lan Chang, Xinghe was never unreasonably cruel.
Chapter 751: Save the Man
It took a special kind of heartless to come after your own flesh and blood. Xinghe had seen that streak in He Lan Chang and thus had predicted a bad ending for He Bin.
Unfortunately, He Bin refused to heed her warning. However, Xinghe did wonder what He Bin had reported to He Lan Chang that managed to arouse his suspicion so soon. Everything happened with such expedience that Xinghe had a hard time confirming whether he was still alive or not.
Xinghe could not afford to have him die on her because she could lose an important chess piece in her effort to topple the He Lan family. Therefore, Xinghe had to launch a quick rescue mission to ensure that he was still alive.
“Let’s begin the mission tonight!” Xinghe announced out of nowhere.
However, Mubai understood her immediately. “You plan to save him?”
“Yes, it is not yet time for him to die yet. His death will mean a loss of many opportunities for us, so no matter the risk, we have to save him.”
“What if he remains indisposed to us after we save him?”
Xinghe smiled chillingly. “If he decides to be so stupidly filial, then I will admit my mistake in placing my faith in the wrong guy. Naturally, in that case, there is no reason for us to keep him anymore!”
Mubai liked this kind of Xinghe, one who was ruthless and would not be blinded by charity and kindness.
“Okay, we will begin the operation tonight,” he added supportively. Xinghe’s rescue plan was actually very simple and low risk because she could edit the surveillance inside the He Lan family’s residence as she wished. Furthermore, this was not Sam’s group first rescue mission. He Lan Villa was child’s play compared to the high security prison they’d sprung Charlie out of.
With perfect coordination from both sides, they successfully saved He Bin. Another crucial reason for such a success was that He Lan family did not expect anyone would come to He Bin’s aid, so there was lax security in the prison that housed him. Everyone was still asleep when He Bin was rescued from the villa.
Xinghe expected some injuries on him but she never expected it would be so serious. The bullet wound on his body aside, his two legs were broken, and there were numerous whiplashes on his body.
He Lan Qi definitely did not hold back. The fact that He Bin survived such an interrogation was a miracle in and of itself. However, he did look like he was perishing.
The group of medics Mubai brought along just in case certainly proved their usefulness. They gave He Bin a rudimentary bandage to temporarily stop his conditions from worsening. However, if he would survive the ordeal depended on the man’s physical attributes and survival instincts.
Xinghe had faith that He Bin would survive because it would have been such a waste for him to die just like that.
After a night of emergency operations, He Bin finally gained consciousness the next morning. When he opened his eyes and saw the snowy white ceiling, He Bin thought he was sleeping. What is happening? Have I died?
Suddenly, a clear and melodious female voice popped up beside him.
“You’re up?”
He Bin turned his head with much effort and saw Xinghe, Mubai, and a few others stood by his bedside. His eyes watered slightly and croaked, “You people… saved me?”
“That’s right, you are still alive, it is truly a miracle,” Xinghe said nonchalantly.
Sam purposely added to scare him, “However, you were so close to death’s embrace. This did come as a surprise to us. We didn’t expect you would have suffered such severe injuries. Isn’t He Lan Chang your father, how can he be so cruel towards you?”
The mention of He Lan Chang made He Bin tense his body and a deep, dark hatred boiled in his eyes. Yesterday, during the torture session, he had confirmed with He Lan Qi that it was them who killed his mother.
They realized her existence as the outside woman would ruin their family’s reputation, therefore, she had to be removed!
Chapter 752: Revenge
He Bin finally realized how heartless He Lan Chang was. He would not hesitate to take out anything that stood in the way of his profit. His mother and now himself were also his victims…
Simply because of a betrayal suspicion he was going to kill him. There was no investigation, he would rather kill an innocent than leave any suspicion. He Lan Chang’s cruelty had reached an incredible level. The loyalty He Bin still had for the He Lan family was completely extricated during the torture session!
He traded his many years of service for such an ending. He lamented his stupidity for treating and respecting He Lan Chang as his father for all those years!
This man that was worse than an animal was never good enough to be his father. He Bin swore absolute revenge on them, to make them pay for what they did to him and his mother.
The vengeance in He Bin’s eyes deepened. Suddenly, Xinghe asked, “Do you want your revenge?”
He Bin was taken aback. He whipped his head to look at her and promised vehemently, “Yes, I do! I am willing to do anything to take my revenge. You will have my full cooperation!”
Xinghe nodded. “Perfect, I am glad that you finally see the truth. Do not worry, revenge will definitely be yours if you choose to work with us.”
“But what use am I to you now that I am a cripple…” He Bin said with hatred. His legs were broken by He Lan Qi, he could not even move a muscle from his lower body, he would probably spend the rest of his life in bed.
“Do not worry, I promise that you will stand again in time. Plus, we do not need you to do anything physical, we only need you to tell us everything you know,” Mubai said in a low voice.
He Bin was taken aback again. He sighed. “But I do not know much about the family business. They would not tell me anything before sending me on those missions… Of course, I could expose them on those criminal deeds that they had me do for them.”
“That is not what we want,” Xinghe replied softly.
He Bin was confused. “In that case, what is your plan?”
Xinghe explained everything to him since he was now their ally, “The He Lan family is a family of secrets. What we need from you is to help us get to the bottom of those secrets. Only by understanding those secrets can we expose them and destroy them in one fell sweep, or else we will just be tipping our hand to them. Furthermore, do you really think we can bring them down with those deeds that they had you do?”
“…” It is indeed impossible. He Lan Chang is too cunning; he must have some ways to get out of the blame, if anything, he will push them on me instead. Furthermore, the president and the Chui family are their people, they will help him cover it up… wait a minute, the Chui family!
He Bin said excitedly, “The Chui family is part of the system, He Lan Chang practically raised them himself! Many of Chui Qian’s decisions have to go through consultation with He Lan Chang, if this relationship is exposed, it will definitely ruin them!”
“Do you have any evidence of their collusion?” Xinghe asked.
He Bin said directly, “Am I not the best evidence? I know many of their secret meetings and know the deals that they have forged with each other. Put me on the witness stand and I will bring them down!”
“Wonderful, tell us everything you know now, and we will record it,” Xinghe came to a decision on the spot but not before calming He Bin. “Do not worry, we will not actually broadcast the recording, at least, not until we can ensure your safety!”
He Bin was compelled by his hatred to blurt out those words earlier, but now that he had calmed down and thought about it, if he presented himself as the witness, he would also be roped into the whole mess.
Chapter 753: Eye of the Storm
Xinghe did not have to volunteer that piece of information, but she not only did but also promised him protection. This touched He Bin…
At the same time, this improved his trust in her, and he believed that she was a woman of her words. Therefore, He Bin kept no secrets and told her everything he knew…
He Bin’s testimony was very useful. His revelation would definitely be enough to shake the Chui family and the He Lan family’s positions. There was no need for ironclad evidence for something as serious as collusion. As long as there was a witness, it was enough to mobilize the whole country into protests and resistance. No matter how powerful the Chui family and the He Lan family were, they were unable to face the entire nation.
Furthermore, there was the democrats waiting for them to make a mistake, to pull them down. Therefore, He Bin’s testimony was immensely valuable. In fact, he, as a witness, was crucial as well, therefore Xinghe’s group had to ensure his physical safety from then on.
While Xinghe was recording He Bin’s testimony, He Lan Chang finally discovered He Bin had disappeared. He had been rescued by someone!
How someone could have snuck into He Lan Villa and saved He Bin without tipping off anyone in the compound? This completely enraged He Lan Chang!
The logical conclusion was the party who saved He Bin belonged to Xia Xinghe. However, how did they manage to infiltrate He Lan villa without leaving any trace on the surveillance?
He Lan Chang soon came to the answer, they must have tweaked the surveillance!
He was surprised by Xinghe’s capability; he hadn’t thought she would be able to hack the best security system in the country. Now that he thought about it, he was certain she had been watching them all along. These thoughts made He Lan Chang shiver involuntarily.
He immediately ordered to have all the security cameras in He Lan villa removed and increase the guard number. Then, he ordered Chui Qian to start investigating Xia Xinghe to find out whether it was her party who saved He Bin.
If it was, then Chui Qian was ordered to eliminate He Bin on sight! He could not allow this hidden threat to survive anymore. He was also further convinced of the fact that He Bin had betrayed him. Little did he know it was because of his suspicions that caused the betrayal.
On the other hand, He Lan Chang had some reserved suspicions about Chui Qian, but his logical side told him that it was all a misdirection by He Bin. He had Chui Qian under his fingertips and they shared a linked relationship, hurting one equaled to harming another. Therefore, He Lan Chang preferred to believe that Chui Qian had not contacted the Shen family behind his back.
However, that did not mean that He Lan Chang was willing to overlook this suspicion. His latest order was also a test. If Chui Qian could find He Bin and remove him, then He Lan Chang would believe he had not betrayed them, however, if he could not manage something as simple as that, then He Lan Chang would have to reconsider his loyalty.
Chui Qian, who received the order, was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Xinghe had extended him an olive branch and she had the whole Hwa Xia supporting her; he really did not want to miss the opportunity to make such a powerful ally. However, he understood if he did not follow He Lan Chang’s order, he could not guarantee that his life would still be safe.
Caught in the conundrum, Chui Qian really did not how to decide. He had no idea whether he should continue silencing his conscience and work for He Lan Chang or choose to cooperate with Xinghe and obtain absolute freedom. Either choice came with a great risk. One wrong step and he would be ruined.
Therefore, Chui Qian had decided to start the search while deciding what to do next. However, right then, a video suddenly surfaced online!
The video once again exposed the He Lan family and pushed them right back into the storm of public opinion.
Chapter 754: Arrest He Lan Qi
No, to be precise, what it did was push He Lan Qi into the public eye. The video was short and was shot at He Lan Villa. It showed He Lan Qi with a few of the security, dragging a bloodied He Bin from one mansion to another. This was the video captured by Xinghe earlier and she chose to release it online. It created a ripple effect almost instantly.
The incident of the Angel Orphanage was swept under the rug by He Lan Chang’s influence very quickly. The public had slowly forgotten about it, but this latest video had returned it to the forefront as a chain reaction. The rumors this time were even worse.
Country R’s citizens could not help but start to speculate about the hideousness and darkness of this family. The public outcry was so harsh that the police were forced to launch a rescue mission at He Lan villa to save He Bin. However, he could not be found!
No matter how hard the He Lan family’s PR team tried to explain this situation, everyone was certain that He Bin had already been killed by He Lan Qi and the body had already been taken care of. They demanded that He Lan Qi be arrested. This development was something He Lan Chang did not expect!
Even though Chui Qian was on their side, he could not help them cover something as huge as this. The whole country saw with their own eyes what He Lan Qi had done. If the police did not arrest He Lan Qi, then the whole country would rise up in revolt.
He Lan Qi was furious, but he had no choice but to allow himself to be led to the police station like a criminal. His father was equally furious, and he knew for sure this was Xia Xinghe’s doing. He even suspected the earlier release of the Angel Orphanage news was her handiwork as well. The fact that they dared to challenge him so openly made him bare his teeth in anger. He wished to capture Xinghe and her accomplices and torture them until their dying breath!
After He Lan Qi was taken away, He Lan Chang’s fury lasted for quite a sizeable amount of time. He called Chui Qian and yelled his order at him, “Find that bastard son and bring him to me immediately! Only by showing him alive to the public can my precious son be saved! If you fail me, do not fault me for what I do to you as punishment!”
Chui Qian’s eyes darkened as He Lan Chang’s threat drifted into his ear. It strengthened his conviction to escape from He Lan Chang’s control. He was the president of a country; how could he allow himself to be threatened and ordered around like this?
However, facing He Lan Chang, Chui Qian did not dare show any trace of dissatisfaction. “Do not worry, I will look for him as fast as I can, he should still be alive. Then, He Lan Qi will be safe.”
“I hope you can fulfill your promise and find him as soon as possible. Also, take care of those vermin from the Shen family! Chui Qian, this is your chance to impress me, so do not disappoint me. If you do, I will have to suspect you have secret dealings with Hwa Xia’s Shen family.” He Lan Chang ended with an open threat.
Chui Qian’s eyes turned chillier, but his tone was as subservient as ever. “Why would you suspect something like that? Do not worry, I will follow your instructions obediently.”
“Good, get it done quickly.” He Lan Chang then hung up on him. He always talked to him like this, like the president was a station lower than himself. He Lan Chang ordered Chui Qian around like he was his servant, he didn’t give him a shred of respect.
Even though Chui Qian admitted that He Lan Chang was crucial during his start-up period, it did not mean that gave He Lan Chang the right to trample all over him.
No matter who it was, being treated like a disposable tool would breed resentment. Furthermore, Chui Qian had the intention to escape He Lan Chang’s control for a very long time. He realized this was a never-ending road, he did not want to sink deeper into the darkness. He wished to break away from them as soon as he could to regain the freedom he deserved.
Chapter 755: Agree to Cooperate
However, he had many weaknesses that He Lan Chang knew of and that was why he was always obsequious towards him. Regardless, he had reached his limit; he could not stand being his puppet anymore.
Furthermore, it was obvious from the series of misfortunes that kept happening to the He Lan family that the Shen family planned to fight them to the death. Eventually, he would also be burnt by the fires. Therefore, the wise choice was to collaborate with the Shen family to remove He Lan Chang, only then he would have the chance to survive.
Before He Lan Chang’s hectoring call, Chui Qian still had his reservations about his decision, but now he had decided. He lost all hesitation; he was going to accept Xinghe’s offer at cooperation!
After Chui Qian made his decision, he immediately contacted Xinghe. Xinghe was indeed waiting for his call.
Xinghe picked up her phone that was ringing and a weighty smile blossomed on her face when she saw the caller ID. “Chui Qian is calling.”
Ee Chen and the rest were excited. “Xinghe, you might as well go be a fortune-teller! Quick, answer the call and let’s hear him out.”
Xinghe nodded and pressed the answer button leisurely. “Hello, Mr. President, how are you?”
“Good afternoon, Miss Xia.” Chui Qian also kept up the charade. “Miss Xia, there is a new video that appeared online today, I wonder if you have seen it?”
Xinghe was not surprised by his question. She answered it honestly. “I have, in fact, I believe I might have been the first one to see it.”
If she said she was the first one to see it, then chances were, she was the one who released it…
Chui Qian was more convinced that the earlier video about Angel Orphanage was her handiwork as well. He was very impressed by her party. They not only managed to capture the He Lan family’s slip up on film but also shuttled He Bin out of He Lan Villa without anyone noticing. These feats were not doable by just anyone.
If he chose to be their enemy, Chui Qian believed evidence harmful against him would fall into their hands eventually as well. Chui Qian was not that naïve to think this was a problem that could be solved by having them assassinated. After all, Xinghe represented Hwa Xia, if anything happened to her while she was in his country, Hwa Xia would demand an explanation. Furthermore, there must be a direct line of information between her and Hwa Xia’s president. Therefore, removing one Xia Xinghe was pointless unless he could remove the entire Hwa Xia!
Thankfully, Xinghe had reached out towards him for cooperation, their main target was not him, so he still had a chance at survival and that chance was cooperating with them.
Chui Qian said openly, “Miss Xia, I have thought long and hard about the thing that you mentioned to me last time and I agree to cooperate with you.”
Chui Qian said with confidence, because what other choices did he have?
“Mr. President has made a brilliant decision! Do not worry, I assure you this is not going to be a decision that you will regret,” Xinghe said with a smile, and the promise was like a balm that soothed Chui Qian’s worried heart. Since he was not in their line of fire, it made sense for him to cooperate and not sign his own death warrant.
“Miss Xia, what will your next course of action be?” Chui Qian asked directly, dropping all the airs of a president.
“Our next course of action is to wait, of course, you will also do the same. Tomorrow, after our people get here, we will need you to help arrange a secret meeting for us with He Lan Qi. We will explain everything else to you when the time is right.”
Hearing that, Chui Qian swallowed his questions. From the way she laid down the plan details and the tone of her voice, Xinghe sounded like a woman with her own ideals.
At the same time, she was telling him, even though she selected him as a corroborator, it did not mean that she was going to abide herself to his every command. They were equal partners in this relationship.
Chapter 756: The Plan
He was reminded that it was he who needed their help; he needed their aid to eliminate the He Lan family. He needed them more than they needed him…
“Okay, contact me tomorrow. Please take care of your safety because He Lan Chang has ordered assassinations on all of you,” Chui Qian reminded them kindly.
“Thank you for your concern. We will be extra careful. Try not to arouse his suspicion on your end, be patient for a little while longer and we will be able to take them all down.”
Xinghe’s confidence gave Chui Qian a great surge of hope. He sighed in relief because it seemed like he had made the right choice.
“Then, I will await your good news. Tell me if a situation arises that requires my cooperation.”
“Okay, Mr. Chui, let’s hope for a rewarding cooperation.”
“Definitely.”
Then, they both hung up at the same time. Mubai and the rest had heard from Xinghe’s conversation that Chui Qian had agreed to working with them. He asked Xinghe with a smile, “Finally got his cooperation?”
Xinghe nodded. “Yes, from the way he sounded, I believe he has seen the light.”
“Xinghe, how did you know he would eventually side with us?” Ali asked curiously. This was a question on everyone’s mind.
Xinghe smiled. “Because he is afraid we will defeat the He Lan family. He has to pick his side soon or else his ending will not be pretty.”
Sam laughed heartily. “Looks like this president is not dumb. And we just so happen to have the evidence of his criminal activities. If he did not choose to cooperate with us, I am sure he would be going down alongside the He Lan family!”
“This means that we won’t be needing He Bin’s testimony for now. In fact, if he does not betray us, we can keep the testimony forever,” Xinghe said matter-of-factly, but there was a cruel undertone in her voice. Even though Chui Qian had chosen to cooperate with them, it did not mean that she trusted him completely and implicitly. Should he become a turncoat, Xinghe would not hesitate to destroy him.
However, he would not betray them because it wouldn’t benefit him the least from making enemies from both sides. Regardless, his choice was the catalyst they were waiting for. With Chui Qian’s cooperation, the rest of the plan could be carried out more easily. They just needed a little bit more time and the He Lan family would be over!
Then, the secrets of Project Galaxy would be cracked open and she would be able to locate her mother…
Xinghe could not wait for that day to arrive. However, this did not mean that it would make her careless just because she was so close to her goal. In anything, she was even more cautious and checked her every step. She would not allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of her!
She would remove all obstructions!
No one could stop her desire to flatten the He Lan family. Mubai and her friends were fully in support of her.
Even Lu Qi was in her corner. The second day, Lu Qi was brought to Country R. After fetching him in secret, they went to meet up with He Lan Qi.
Chui Qian had arranged everything. He slipped some sleeping pills into He Lan Qi’s drink so that he would not know they were doing to him. Xinghe’s plan was officially kick-started. That moment was the moment the He Lan family’s fate started its decline towards destruction.
In fact, He Lan Chang could feel a bad omen weighing down on him. Other than breathing down Chui Qian’s neck, he also arranged his men to look for Xinghe’s group. He Lan Chang was beyond the point of caring. His order was to kill anyone from Xinghe’s group on the spot should they be seen.
However, Xinghe’s group had gone into hiding. No matter how hard his men searched for them, they were not to be found.
The negative discussion about He Lan Qi had never stopped. It continued to be the most discussed topic in Country R.
Chapter 757: Everything Will Be Ending Soon (End of the Country R Arc)
This meant that He Lan Chang could not pay his bail even if he wanted to. He Lan Qi had to remain behind bars. He was fuming in captivity. He was the young master of the prestigious He Lan family, how could they make him suffer through such humiliation?
He Lan Qi spent his every waking hour locked inside prison; he was close to breaking down. However, there was nothing he could do but wait for his father to find He Bin. Only by locating He Bin could his murder charge be cleared.
However, a long time had passed, and the police still could not find He Bin. Not only that, they could not even locate Xinghe’s party.
At the same time, the He Lan family’s business suffered greatly, they had lost quite a sizeable profit. The police came to investigate them every other day and it rubbed He Lan Chang the wrong way. He got increasingly annoyed as the days went by, and his desire to murder Xinghe and everyone around her gradually deepened.
His attitude towards Chui Qian also worsened. This was because Chui Qian until now had not found him the people he needed, He Lan Chang vented his anger on him almost daily. Chui Qian fed him multiple reasons to console him, but every time after he hung up his phone, Chui Qian’s conviction to eliminate He Lan Chang only deepened.
However, it had been almost half a month and Xinghe still showed no sign of moving. If she did not initiate her plan soon, He Lan Chang would have his head.
…
He Lan Chang had lit a fire underneath Chui Qian and he immediately called Xinghe to enquire about her progress. “Miss Xia, He Lan Chang is losing his patience, he is almost at his limits. When will you start your plan?”
“Our plan has already started, and it has been going on smoothly. Tomorrow, we will need your help to arrange a way for us to get close to He Lan Qi again, do not worry because everything will come to an end soon,” Xinghe said softly but there was a wealth of confidence in her voice.
Her answer stopped Chui Qian’s line of question short. He replied excitedly, “Okay, I will go arrange everything immediately!”
At that point, he did not even care what their plan was anymore, he just wanted them to get He Lan Chang off his back. He was afraid he might not be able to hold on any longer.
However, to Chui Qian’s surprise, after Xinghe’s party secretly came into contact with He Lan Qi, He Lan Qi fell seriously ill. He was unconscious, burning from high fever. At the same time, he received a call from Xinghe that asked him to have He Lan Chang fetch his son back.
Chui Qian was stunned. “You want me to release He Lan Qi?”
Xinghe nodded. “That’s right. He is currently unconscious and thus should return to his family or else He Lan Chang might raise a storm.”
“What did you guys do to He Lan Qi?” Chui Qian asked anxiously. He might have agreed to cooperate with them and arrest He Lan Qi, but that did not mean that he would allow anything to happen to He Lan Qi because it was not time for that yet. If anything happened to He Lan Qi, He Lan Chang would have his life.
“Miss Xia, now is not the time to poke He Lan Chang!” Chui Qian reminded with a serious voice. “Before you have absolute confidence, you must not corner He Lan Chang or he might lash out indiscriminately.”
Xinghe saw his concern immediately. She replied calmly, “Do not worry, He Lan Qi will not die, in fact, I would say, he is at the peak of his health. When he wakes up, everything will be over.”
“Why?” Chui Qian was confused.
Xinghe smirked. “I cannot reveal the details just yet, I will explain everything when the case is sealed and done. Mr. Chui, we are one step away from the end, you must choose to believe in us because I can tell you, our plan will definitely be a success.”
Chui Qian saw the confidence and determination glowing brightly in her eyes. For some strange reason, he felt reassured and chose to believe in her.
Chapter 758: One Week Period
Xinghe had this uncanny charm that could win anyone over if she tried. Or else, under normal circumstances, Chui Qian would not have dared to take on such a huge risk without knowing everything.
Chui Qian followed Xinghe’s request and immediately called He Lan Chang to come fetch He Lan Qi. He Lan Qi’s sudden sickness was indeed a surprise for He Lan Chang.
Initially, he thought He Lan Qi was drugged while he was in jail, but the doctors found nothing suspicious in his system. They said he was fine, just suffering through a serious flu, it was nothing life threatening. That made He Lan Chang sighed in relief.
However, it did nothing to squelch his anger towards Chui Qian. During his secret meeting with Chui Qian, he interrogated him viciously, “Your work has been becoming increasingly shoddy, how can you fail to find a small party of people when you have the whole government under your control? Or have you colluded with them and that is why you have nothing to report?”
Chui Qian immediately voiced his loyalty. “How could that be possible‽ I gain no benefits from working with them, is that not digging my own grave? I have tried my best to look for them, but they have hidden themselves very well. There are no clues or traces of them whatsoever.”
“Even with the whole country in your control, you fail to complete a simple task like this; why am I still keeping you around? Chui Qian, my patience is limited, and I will never allow anyone to challenge me! I will give you another week, and if you still turn up with nothing, then you will announce your recusal from the presidency. I already have people lining up to take your position. Do not ever think about challenging my decision because you will not be able to suffer the consequences!” He Lan Chang slammed the door and left after leaving that threat.
Chui Qian gritted his fists and suppressed the fury burning within him. He had done so many things for He Lan Chang, but he knew that, in He Lan Chang’s eyes, he was nothing more than a dog. In fact, he believed He Lan Chang treated He Bin the same way.
Therefore, He Bin was like the example of his future. No matter how good he was, the one time he failed He Lan Chang, he would not hesitate to have him ruined. Working for He Lan Chang was akin to a devil’s bargain, there was no way he could survive it.
Therefore, only by revolting against him would he have a fighting chance. That was why he chose to cooperate with Xinghe. He Lan Chang’s threat reminded him that this was his only chance at freedom. He had already betrayed He Lan Chang, so it was already too late for him to go back. He could only grit his teeth and continue on this path that he had chosen.
Thankfully, when Xinghe found out about He Lan Chang’s threat, she told him reassuringly that he would be fine. This gave Chui Qian some confidence and a small degree of anticipation.
However, as the limit drew closer, Chui Qian’s anxiety level gradually increased. He was under immense pressure every day and in the blink of an eye, the one-week limit was up.
To his surprise, He Lan Qi’s revival also coincided with this limit. He Lan Chang demanded Chui Qian hide the fact that He Lan Qi had gained consciousness and had He Lan Qi stay at home instead of having him sent back into prison. The public was still under the impression that He Lan Qi was still unconscious at the hospital.
Chui Qian did that, but that did not mean He Lan Chang was going to forgive Chui Qian. The one-week limit was up, and Chui Qian still had not found Xinghe’s party; He Lan Chang decided he was at his breaking point.
He called Chui Qian and ordered him on the phone, “Today, you will figure out a way to announce your recusal and I will have my man replace your position temporarily. Remember, do not ever think of challenging me, or your end will only be worse! And I want to see the news of your recusal on national television by twelve in the afternoon or else you will lose more than you have now… for example, your life. Do you understand?”
Chapter 759: Xia Xinghe Came Alone
“You still have three hours to prepare everything, so do not make these three hours the last few hours of your life!”
After He Lan Chang spat out everything, his every syllable laced with resentment, he slammed down his phone. He did not give Chui Qian a chance of explain himself. Chui Qian put down his phone and a chill spread across his body like he was sitting inside an ice-box. The collective pressure over the past week had drained the color from his face and his movements were mechanical.
He sat there blankly, unsure of what to do. The sunlight filtered through the window blinded him until he felt light-headed and light of breathing. After a long contemplation under such a stressed environment, Chui Qian took a deep breath and called Xinghe. “Miss Xia, I am running out of time. If I do not announce my resignation from the presidency before twelve, He Lan Chang will have my life. Perhaps, this is where our cooperation ends.”
“There are still three hours before twelve,” Xinghe said softly.
Chui Qian laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “Indeed, there are still three hours before twelve. Do you know it took me almost ten years under his control before I managed to get to this seat? However, he only gave me three hours to give it up. This may be a good thing because finally I can get away from the pressure. To be frank, I do not mind giving up this post, but after that, I will be another one of He Lan Chang’s abandoned chess pieces. If this is He Lan Chang we are talking about, my days are already numbered. I am already prepared to face the consequences from accepting this devil’s bargain, but I am indeed sorry I am unable to aid you until the very end. I wish all of you the best. I have tried my best.”
There were heavy traces of sadness and despair in Chui Qian’s voice. It sounded like all hope had been drained out of his life.
After his little confession, Xinghe responded calmly, “Mr. Chui, you have already been such a great help to us. Watch these three hours closely. You will not need to give up everything and will soon escape He Lan Chang’s control. This is the reward you have earned for choosing to cooperate with us.”
Chui Qian was taken aback. “What did you say?”
He really could survive with every part of him still intact and more than that, escape from He Lan Chang’s control?
Xinghe did not repeat herself. She said, “The reality will show you. Mr. Chui, wait for my good news. It is time for me to go see He Lan Chang.”
“You’re going to see He Lan Chang‽” Chui Qian sucked in his breath from shock. “You cannot do that; he will not let you walk out his villa alive!”
Xinghe smiled on the other end of the phone. “You’ve got that the wrong way around. I will not forgive He Lan Chang for everything that he has done. Mr. Chui, I shan’t continue to convince you with words; you shall see for yourself who is right in a little while.”
With that, Xinghe hung up without much explanation. Chui Qian was sick with worry. Can Xinghe really take down He Lan Chang in a short period of time?
Chui Qian thought it was unlikely, but she did sound absurdly confident on the phone. Chui Qian could not help but cheer for her and pray for her safety.
However, on the other hand, his logic told him, how could she topple someone as powerful as He Lan Chang on such short notice?
In any case, Chui Qian could not figure out what Xinghe’s plan was, but she was his only hope. Therefore, Chui Qian fidgeted in the president’s office, praying to hear from her the good news…
…
Xinghe went alone to He Lan Villa. Her sudden arrival gave He Lan Chang the shock of his life. He Lan Chang’s men were still going around the country looking for her and she presented herself to him at his house… He would not let this good opportunity slip out of his fingers.
However, his paranoia told him that, since she dared to come and face him alone, she must have come prepared.