Regret

At the Wei Corporation, Wei Zelin lowered the phone from his ear after the call was abruptly cut off. He tapped at it a couple of times. A little red marker on the screen was somewhere not far from the company.

Wei Zelin strode into the department manager's office. A few minutes later, the manager's booming voice carried through the glass door.

"You can't get anything right! Go to the construction site in the Development Zone for me later."

Everyone at the company knew Wei Zexuan despised and suppressed Wei Zelin. The group would surely belong to the second young master of the Wei Family in the future. Their department manager was especially good at sucking up, and to please Wei Zexuan, he periodically sent Wei Zelin off to remote places on business errands. In reality, it was all pointless busywork.

The colleagues outside murmured among themselves. "It's almost time to get off work, and the manager's still sending him to a construction site. He really knows how to push people around."

Someone beside her teased, "What's wrong? Feeling sorry for our eldest young master?"

The female colleague blushed scarlet, as if they really had guessed what was on her mind.

However much the Wei Family suppressed and looked down on Wei Zelin, his looks were still exceptional. He was humble, too, greeting everyone with a smile. Being around him felt like basking in a warm spring breeze.

But when Wei Zexuan was around, they never dared be friendly with Wei Zelin. What they did in private was beyond Wei Zexuan's control.

Wei Zelin came out of the company and spotted the conspicuous crowd from a distance. It looked like a gang committing a crime.

People streamed in and out of the nearby office buildings during the lunch break, but no one dared interfere with the Wei Corporation's heir apparent.

Wei Zelin took out his phone and sent a message, gradually approaching them with studied nonchalance. Nothing about his movements suggested urgency. Among the employees heading home for lunch or ordering food, he hardly stood out.

As he drew near, he veered behind the landscaped strip at Wei Zexuan's back. Everyone's attention was on Xiao Rong, who had fled alone, and no one noticed him.

When he saw Shi Yuan being humiliated, his unruffled expression finally changed. His index finger kept tapping against his phone with faint clicking sounds.

The scales in his heart swung back and forth. This should never have required any hesitation. He could simply stand aside and plot behind the scenes, as he had when You Gui was at the manor. Yet the sight of Shi Yuan rubbing his chest gave him pause.

How strange. Even Wei Zelin found it unbelievable. He had never imagined that someone would one day become his weakness, and now he was hesitating.

A vibration in his hand interrupted his thoughts. The people he had dispatched had acted quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could already see Ren Yunrong's young son running over with two patrolling security guards, his childish face flushed red with urgency.

Things had already reached this point... This was a perfect opportunity. There was no room for further thought. Shi Yuan had to be drawn into the game!

He switched to another phone and sent Huang Shiren a message.

Seeing that Shi Yuan had not yet been taken away by Wei Zexuan, Xiao Rong lit up with joy. The first thing he had done after escaping was call the police. He had just finished describing the incident and the address, and had not even hung up yet, when he happened to run into several patrolling security guards.

Xiao Rong did not expect these guards to rescue Shi Yuan. As long as they could hold Wei Zexuan up, the police would arrive soon.

His heart had been pounding the whole run back, and he had nearly burst into tears.

"Mr. Shi, don't be afraid. The police will be here any minute."

Although he was speaking to Shi Yuan, he turned his face toward Wei Zexuan with a triumphant look.

He was still a child, unable to hide his delight.

Shi Yuan nearly lost his mind with anger. He had gone to so much trouble to get Wei Zexuan to let this little brat go, only for the boy to come back and walk straight into the trap a few minutes later!

He wanted to step forward and shove the troublesome child farther away, but the moment he moved, Wei Zexuan's bodyguard seized him and pinned him to the ground.

Xiao Rong had not expected Wei Zexuan to remain so brazen even after hearing that he had called the police. He cried out, "Mr. Shi!"

He tugged at a guard's uniform and said urgently, "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and help him!"

The guards exchanged glances. Their leader stepped forward and respectfully addressed Wei Zexuan. "Young President Wei."

Wei Zexuan raised his eyebrows. "New here? How come I haven't seen you before?"

The leader said, "I've been with the Wei Corporation for two years. The men behind me joined this year."

Wei Zexuan had only asked in passing. Normally, he would never pay attention to the company's security guards.

He nodded casually and ordered, "This has nothing to do with you. Leave."

Ignoring Xiao Rong's pleading gaze, the guards quickly walked away without looking back.

Xiao Rong's little face went white with anxiety. With so many office buildings around, he had never imagined that the guards he found at random would work for this bad man's company. What a terrible coincidence. If seeing those guards had not given him confidence, he would never have dared come back.

It was all right. He had called the police, too. He just had to stall for time. However arrogant this man was, surely he was afraid of the police?

But why weren't the police here yet? Hadn't they said on the phone that officers would reach the scene within five minutes?

Everything Xiao Rong was thinking showed on his face. Grinning, Wei Zexuan took out his phone and waved it in front of him. "Looking for the police, little buddy? They won't be coming~"

The call screen displayed "Deputy Chief Zhang, Yangbai Precinct Police Station."

Xiao Rong shuddered. The blazing noon sun could not reach the shade where they stood. He felt cold wash over his entire body, the hairs rising on the arms left bare by his short sleeves.

The station that had answered his call was the White Poplar Subdistrict Police Station!

Several cars disappeared around the street corner, one after another. All that remained were a crushed phone and two overturned shopping bags.

Only after a long while did Wei Zelin emerge from behind the landscaped strip. He picked up the phone. Its front screen and back cover were shattered beyond repair.

Clothes had spilled from the shopping bags, their tags still attached. Wei Zelin stuffed them back inside, but froze when he picked up a shirt whose packaging bore a shoeprint.

Shi Yuan liked casual clothes and favored youthful styles. He had never worn a shirt like this even when going to job interviews.

He tore open the packaging and unfolded the shirt to check the label at the collar. Sure enough, it was his size.

Since their marriage, Shi Yuan had stopped contacting his old disreputable friends and had no other friends to speak of. The only person he was somewhat close to, You Gui, was far away in S City. Taking into account their unfinished call at noon and the place where Shi Yuan had been abducted, it was obvious who the shirt was meant for.

His grip on the phone gradually tightened. He pried apart the shattered glass back cover with his bare hands and pulled out a card the size of a little fingernail. The sharp edges sliced his palm like blades, and blood dripped down his long, powerful fingers. A flicker of pain crossed Wei Zelin's expressionless face. With that pain, he lowered his head and laughed a few times. His laughter grew quieter and more stifled, resentment, bitterness, and regret twisting together. A few steps away, the security captain who had returned did not dare approach.

Although he had only recently vented his frustrations at the Boxing Arena, too many thoughts weighed on him all day long. His hot-and-cold treatment of Shi Yuan tormented him over and over. He was human, too, and at this moment, he could finally suppress it no longer.

Wei Zelin allowed himself a few minutes of indulgence before looking at the hesitant security captain nearby and asking coldly, "What is it?"

"Brother Lin, those guys are all from my hometown. I was worried they'd run into Wei Zexuan on the way, so I didn't send them back."

Wei Zelin understood what he was getting at. He did not mind his subordinates having ambitions; what he feared was them getting too clever for their own good.

"Find them somewhere to stay first. Have them keep a low profile for the next few days. Once this is over, Secretary Pan will assess them together. Whether they join the company or go to Huang Shiren, we'll find a place for all of them."

The security captain brightened. If even one of those men made something of himself under Wei Zelin, he would become a valuable connection for him.

Being abducted by Wei Zexuan for the second time, Shi Yuan remained fairly calm, aside from marveling that the Wei Family's influence extended even into the police station. At worst, he would take a beating later. Blondie was smart and at least would not act as recklessly as Wei Zexuan. If he knew Xiao Rong had connections to a politician, he surely would not make things too difficult. But he had dragged the child into this, and Mr. Ren certainly would not employ him again. His brand-new job, which had not even lasted a month, was about to go up in smoke.

He had not expected the cars to be heading somewhere other than the familiar Clubhouse!

That caught everyone off guard.

"He didn't take them to your place?" Wei Zelin's already grim face turned icy.

"No. I headed to the Clubhouse as soon as I got your message. I've been waiting here all this time, but..."

Without listening to any more of Huang Shiren's rambling, he briskly hung up.

He contacted several trusted subordinates and the people who had been following Shi Yuan to keep him under surveillance. Sure enough, they had news.

"The Seaside Ferry Terminal?"

Shi Yuan had never imagined he would board such a luxurious cruise ship in this lifetime. It would have been even better if he had not been forced aboard.

Watching the cruise ship slowly leave the terminal and head out to sea, Shi Yuan finally panicked. The blue water deepened into a secretive black, mysterious and unfathomable, as though an enormous beast lurked in its depths. He could not swim.

The ocean-the perfect place to kill someone and dispose of the body.

Wei Zexuan sat on a deck lounger, elegantly sipping wine from a stemmed glass. His eyes behind his sunglasses watched Shi Yuan's deathly pale face, and he smiled in satisfaction.

"I hear you and You Gui are pretty close. You went all out for her last time. Shouldn't she come save you this time?"

Wei Zexuan pronounced "save" with particular scorn. Last time, Shi Yuan had been taken away by Shen Duo. If he had not been showing Shen Duo some courtesy, he would never have let the matter drop.

Did Shi Yuan really think he could offend Wei Zexuan and get away that easily? How would the children of senior executives who followed him around ever respect him again? He might as well give up his place in Capital City.

Shi Yuan could only give an awkward smile. "You had people beat me up last time. How could I be stupid enough to keep associating with her?"

Whether Wei Zexuan believed his explanation was unclear, but he certainly did not look as though a few conciliatory words would make him let Shi Yuan go.

"She was pretty smart, running away so quickly. Otherwise, she'd be the one tied up here today."

You Gui had escaped right under his nose. Because of Shi Yuan's interference, she had been persuaded to leave before becoming entangled with Shen Duo as she had in the original novel. Wei Zexuan did not hate her all that fiercely. What angered him more was having his authority challenged.

With You Gui gone, he took that anger out on Shi Yuan, who had repeatedly refused to obey him.

Wei Zexuan reached out and forcefully pinched and rubbed Shi Yuan's cheek between his thumb and forefinger. The fair skin quickly bruised, and Shi Yuan kept sucking in breaths of pain.

Feigning confusion, Wei Zexuan said, "Still the same face, though it looks a little smoother than before. And suddenly you're so glib... Did someone replace you? Or did you have a change of heart?"

Even knowing that Wei Zexuan could not possibly guess something as absurd as transmigration, and that he was deliberately toying with him, Shi Yuan's heart still lurched.

He awkwardly changed the subject in a final attempt to struggle free. "Brother Xuan, you're such a busy man. Isn't it a bit of a waste to spend your time on me?"

Before Wei Zexuan could answer, a child's shrill voice rang out beside him, fierce on the surface but shaky underneath. "Mr. Shi! You... you don't have to be afraid. When my dad realizes I haven't come home, he'll definitely send his guards to find me."

His voice was loud enough, but lacked confidence. His dad... would notice he was not home, wouldn't he?

Hm? Did this little brat's family actually have some influence? They even had guards?

Wei Zexuan took a sip of wine and asked casually, "Who's your dad, brat?"

Shi Yuan's heart pounded so hard it nearly leaped into his throat.

For all his bluffing, he only knew that Mr. Ren seemed to hold a leadership position within the government. He had no idea how high his rank was or whether he wielded any real power. If Xiao Rong's answer failed to intimidate Wei Zexuan, both of them might suffer. An animal like Wei Zexuan would not spare anyone on account of age or infirmity.

Sure enough, Xiao Rong's "My dad's a director" made Wei Zexuan burst out laughing and left Shi Yuan wanting to cry.

Wei Zexuan grew interested in teasing the child. "Sister Hong, who cleans my house, is a director, too. I promoted her to director of cleaning."

Shi Yuan was speechless.

Sister Hong herself did not even know she had been promoted.

Anyone could tell he was mocking them, but the child was too naive. His mouth fell open, and he grew frustrated and anxious.

This bad man had a high-ranking official in his family, too. What were they going to do?

He looked helplessly at Shi Yuan, but Mr. Shi was just as desperate. The two of them wished they could cling to each other and tremble.

Wei Zexuan drained his glass. A waiter beside him tried to take the empty glass, but Wei Zexuan flicked his hand instead. The glass glittered in the sunlight, yet made not even a sound as it fell into the sea.

"Throw him overboard."