The Last Hope: Seeking Help from Zhao Mengsheng!

The next day.

Downtown Jiangcheng.

The 66-story Gao Corporation Building was complete. A ribbon-cutting ceremony drew the city's elite.

"Congratulations, Mr. Gao! Now that the Gao Corporation Building is finished, it's Jiangcheng's new landmark!"

"I hear you spent two billion on it and emptied your coffers. Most people could never make a move that bold!"

"But the returns will be enormous! After today, the title of Jiangcheng's richest man is yours!"

Wealthy guests crowded around Gao Tianxiong, showering him with flattery.

"You're too kind!"

Gao Tianxiong, sharp in his suit, smiled. "It's an honor for our family to help build Jiangcheng!"

Gao Zisheng was there too, though his medical parole was supposed to restrict his movements.

He followed his father, shaking hands with the wealthy guests while his mind ran wild with fantasies.

He wanted the ceremony over so he could return to Black Tortoise Manor and kill Yue Xiaofei himself!

He would make that brat kneel and beg for mercy!

"Hahaha!"

The thought of what awaited Yue Xiaofei made Gao Zisheng giddy.

In an older neighborhood near the city center.

Yue Xiaofei was carrying home fresh vegetables he had just bought to cook for his grandfather.

Whoosh!

A rush of air came from behind him.

Yue Xiaofei's body went taut.

The instincts he had honed as a special forces commander in his previous life kicked in at once.

He ducked sharply and darted aside.

Swish!

A hand brushed past his neck, missing his face.

The next instant, Yue Xiaofei drove an uppercut into his attacker's chin.

Thud!

The man grunted, clutched his chin, and collapsed, unable to move.

"Useless! You can't even grab a student!"

A cold voice rang out.

"Who's there?"

Yue Xiaofei looked up. A scar-faced man stood at the mouth of the alley.

He toyed with a switchblade, his eyes vicious.

"Did the Gao family send you?"

Yue Xiaofei took a defensive stance, every muscle tense.

"Young Master Gao wants to see you. Come with me."

Brother Dao advanced step by step.

"No."

Yue Xiaofei refused without hesitation.

"That's not your choice!"

Brother Dao's eyes turned cold. His switchblade snapped open with a click, its edge aimed at Yue Xiaofei.

"Come quietly if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens!"

Yue Xiaofei sneered.

"You think you can hold me? If I run, you might not catch me."

"And this neighborhood is full of people. All I have to do is shout, and the neighbors will come running!"

"I have General Lin, General Lei, and Secretary Sha of Handong behind me. Do you think the Gao family would take them on for your sake?"

Brother Dao's face darkened. He clearly hadn't expected Yue Xiaofei to be this difficult.

But a cruel smile soon spread across his face.

"I came prepared."

Brother Dao pulled out his phone. On the screen was a live feed—

Several thugs carrying machetes stood outside the small house in the neighborhood, watching it closely.

"Your grandfather's in there, isn't he?"

Brother Dao waved the phone, his threat plain. "You'd better cooperate. One word from me, and they'll rush in and hack your grandfather to death!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

Yue Xiaofei's eyes reddened as rage surged through him.

"Try me."

Brother Dao's gaze stayed icy. "But come with me, and your grandfather won't be harmed. Young Master Gao just wants to talk. He won't do anything to you."

That was what he said, but he knew the truth...

Gao Zisheng had no intention of sparing Yue Xiaofei!

"Fine. I'll go with you."

"But if you touch my grandfather, I'll make your family pay, even if it costs me my life!"

Yue Xiaofei knew Brother Dao was desperate enough to do it. For his grandfather's safety, he had no choice.

Brother Dao nodded in satisfaction, then snapped at his man on the ground. "What are you waiting for? Get up!"

The two men escorted Yue Xiaofei to a van parked at the alley entrance.

He quietly slipped a hand into his pocket and found his phone.

He meant to send Secretary Sha a plea for help without looking at the screen!

Even a few characters might catch his attention.

"What are you doing?"

Brother Dao seized his wrist, eyes full of menace.

"I..."

Yue Xiaofei's heart jolted. He was about to make an excuse.

But Brother Dao snatched the phone, smashed it against the ground, and crushed it beneath his foot.

"Behave. No tricks."

The killing intent in Brother Dao's voice was chilling. "Do as you're told, and you might suffer a little less!"

Half an hour later.

The van arrived at Black Tortoise Manor.

"Follow me!"

Brother Dao shoved Yue Xiaofei out of the van and led the way.

Before long, they reached the manor's basement.

It was dark and damp, with a rotten smell and pools of dark red blood on the floor.

"Didn't Gao Zisheng want to see me? Where is he?"

Yue Xiaofei looked around, frowning as dread rose in him.

This looked nothing like a place for a conversation!

It looked more like a torture chamber where bodies were disposed of!

"Heh!"

Brother Dao smiled cruelly, playing with his switchblade.

"Young Master Gao is cutting a ribbon downtown. He'll be back tonight to have a nice long 'chat' with you!"

The emphasis he put on "chat" sent a chill down Yue Xiaofei's spine.

"Get in here and hold him down!"

The moment he spoke, two burly enforcers rushed forward and pinned Yue Xiaofei by the shoulders.

He struggled, but one of them kicked the back of his knee. His kneecap slammed into the hard concrete floor.

"Hold still!"

Brother Dao crouched and brought out a heavy pair of steel shackles. With a clack, he locked them around Yue Xiaofei's ankles.

"What are you doing?"

Yue Xiaofei's face changed.

This wasn't a meeting!

It was a kidnapping!

The Gao family was holding him captive so openly. Weren't they afraid Secretary Sha would come after them?

Or was kidnapping only the beginning? Were they going to...

Ring, ring!

Just then, Brother Dao's phone rang. "Young Master Gao" flashed on the screen.

He answered and turned on speakerphone.

Gao Zisheng's arrogant voice echoed through the basement. "Brother Dao, you brought him there, right? Put Yue Xiaofei on!"

Brother Dao held the phone up to Yue Xiaofei. Gao Zisheng's face appeared on the screen.

He stood in front of the Gao Corporation Building.

Behind him, the ribbon-cutting crowd bustled. He held a glass of champagne and wore a smug, vicious grin.

"Yue Xiaofei, never thought you'd end up like this, did you?"

Gao Zisheng swirled his glass, brazen as ever.

"You got me locked up, then humiliated me in front of all Jiangcheng yesterday. That video's still spreading like wildfire online!"

"Even my two older sisters called to laugh at me!"

"We've got quite a score to settle!"

"Gao Zisheng, you dare kidnap me? Aren't you afraid I'll tell Grandpa Sha?"

Yue Xiaofei's voice shook with anger, the veins in his forehead bulging.

"Grandpa Sha? Hahaha..."

Gao Zisheng threw back his head and laughed as if he had heard the funniest thing in the world.

"Let's see if he still claims you as his honorary grandson once you're dead!"

"If I didn't want to kill you myself, I'd have had Brother Dao finish you off on the way!"

"Then we'll dump your body in the hills for the wild dogs. No one will ever know!"

"Once you're just another missing person, Sha Zhenjiang won't find any evidence even if he investigates! My plan's airtight. Sit tight and wait to die!"

Every word dripped with arrogance.

Yue Xiaofei's heart sank.

He glared at Gao Zisheng's twisted face on the screen, consumed by rage.

"The Gao family thinks it can do whatever it wants. Aren't you afraid of retribution? My parents shed blood for this country, and you treat human life like it's nothing. You'll pay for this someday!!!"

"Retribution?"

Gao Zisheng raised an eyebrow, contempt written all over his face.

"Let me tell you—in Jiangcheng, the Gao family makes the rules!"

"If I want you dead, not even Sha Zhenjiang can stop me!"

He waved a hand, his tone turning impatient.

"I'm done talking. I'll deal with you when I get back tonight. You'd better hope you don't die too quickly, or where's the fun in that?"

With that, Gao Zisheng hung up. The screen went black.

Brother Dao pocketed his phone, glanced at Yue Xiaofei, and told the two enforcers, "Watch him. Don't let him try anything. I'm heading out. I'll be back to relieve you tonight!"

"Yes, Brother Dao."

The two enforcers answered in unison, glaring at Yue Xiaofei like prey.

"Phew..."

Yue Xiaofei drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. His mind raced.

Gao Zisheng meant to kill him. That much was clear!

If he sat here waiting, he would die!

He had to find a way out!

He grabbed the chain between his shackles and hauled upward with all his strength.

Pain tore through his ankles as the cuffs bit into them, as though they might crush the bone. The chain did not budge.

"Hey, kid, don't waste your strength."

One of the enforcers, a man with a buzz cut, said, "Those shackles are solid steel. Without the key, you'd have to chop your feet off to get free!"

The other enforcer, whose face was thick with jowls, snickered. "Exactly. Quit struggling! Sit tight, and you'll suffer less!"

Having said their piece, they ignored Yue Xiaofei. They brought over an old television, plugged it in, and began watching a soccer match.

"Damn it!"

Yue Xiaofei gritted his teeth and tried several more times. Agony shot through his ankles, but the shackles held!

He leaned against the cold wall as despair welled up inside him.

No one could hear him here. No one would come to help.

His phone was gone, and his feet were locked in place!

He refused to give up!

His father's name was still uncleared, and his grandfather was waiting for him to come home. How could he die here?

Just as Yue Xiaofei was about to give up...

Whoosh!

A faint glint suddenly flashed off the watch on his left wrist.

He looked down sharply. It was the gift Sha Zhenjiang had given him, with several inconspicuous buttons along its edge.

He pressed one. The watch face lit up, revealing a call screen!

"A smartwatch? It can make calls?"

Yue Xiaofei's eyes lit up. For a moment, he saw hope—but it quickly faded.

He didn't know Sha Zhenjiang's, Lin Tiejun's, or Lei Zhen's phone number by heart.

Just as despair set in...

A photograph flashed through his mind—

The group photo his father had left behind.

Zhao Mengsheng's phone number was written on the back!

The photo had gotten damp, blurring the last two digits, but he remembered the first nine perfectly!

"Uncle Zhao Mengsheng..."

Yue Xiaofei silently repeated the name to himself.

He was Yue Xiaofei's last hope now!