Chapter 99: The Spirit Fox

Chapter 99: The Spirit Fox

The moon shone brightly with sparse stars outside the window, creating an enchanting night.

After months of drought, the timely rain arrived, and Lin Yufan, clutching the blanket, was completely immobilized.

Still unsatisfied, Zhao Zhiao whispered in her ear, "One more time?"

Before Lin Yufan could respond, she faintly heard a baby crying.

She pushed him away, "Did you hear that? It sounds like Yuanbao is crying."

Zhao Zhiao kept kissing her, "You're imagining things."

"No, he's really crying."

Sure enough, the crying seemed to be getting closer.

It was likely that the little one had woken up in the middle of the night wanting milk, and the nanny was bringing him to their room.

"Quick! Get up!" Lin Yufan sat up; fortunately, she hadn't completely taken off her robe. Zhao Zhiao handed her a towel to place underneath, and she quickly tidied her hair.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhiao had already dressed, as quickly as if he were sneaking around.

The same Zhao Zhiao, who had just been tirelessly working, twisted his neck and swiftly went to open the door.

He carried the little one inside.

The little guy was very smart; just moments ago he was crying, but once in Lin Yufan's arms, without even opening his eyes, he immediately nuzzled towards her breast.

Listening to his son noisily drinking milk, Zhao Zhiao sat beside them and sighed, "Luckily, I saved some for you."

Lin Yufan teased, "As if you could finish it all."

Zhao Zhiao played with the little one's hand, "I'm not as lucky as him; cry a little and get to drink."

Lin Yufan gently kicked him, always jealous, truly embodying the spirit of a vinegar king.

"Hey, this Saturday I've arranged to have lunch with Zhang Wei at the Rich Gate. Aren't you coming along?"

"Lunch or dinner?"

"Lunch."

Zhao Zhiao thought about his schedule for that day, "I have some business to handle at the company in the morning. You go ahead; I'll meet you directly at the Rich Gate."

Lin Yufan reminded him, "Don't be too late."

After feeding, the little one was unusually energetic. Zhao Zhiao held him and played for a while before letting the nanny take him back to sleep.

*

On Saturday, Lin Yufan arrived at the Rich Gate just before noon.

As she got out of the car in the parking lot, she ran into Zhang Wei and the eldest son of the Xu family, Xu Houjia.

Lin Yufan had met Xu Houjia a few times before; not very familiar but acquainted, they exchanged smiles and greetings.

Zhang Wei asked her, "Do you know who the white-haired monsters are?"

Who are they? Could there be more than one?

Lin Yufan asked curiously, "Not just you?"

Zhang Wei patted Xu Houjia's back, "Houjia and I. We both enjoy reading your 'Sorceress Legend,' which is why we used the name 'White-Haired Monster' to stand up for you in 'The Language Grove' magazine. That's why I said, today you're treating the White-Haired Monsters to a meal, and Houjia couldn't be left out, so I brought him along."

Lin Yufan laughed, "So the White-Haired Monster is two people! No wonder, I read your comments and was puzzled by the completely different styles?"

Xu Houjia, more lively than Zhang Wei, said, "Don't let Zhang Wei's usual seriousness fool you, his choice of words is very sharp. I, on the other hand, am more... humorous."

As they walked towards the entrance, it was lunchtime, and many guests were coming and going.

Halfway there, Xu Houjia suddenly remembered, "I forgot something in the car. Go ahead without me."

He had prepared a gift for Lin Yufan, which he had left in the car.

Just then, a bridal party was coming in, so Lin Yufan and Zhang Wei stood outside waiting for a while.

"Let's wait here for Houjia."

As they spoke, both turned to look towards where Xu Houjia had parked his car.

Xu Houjia had driven here today and was about to unlock his car door with the keys.

Zhang Wei chatted with Lin Yufan about how he had been catching up on 'The Peacock Flies Southwest' and 'Beiping Story' recently, "Although some of the wording habits are similar to those in 'Sorceress Legend,' the entire mindset is completely different. How do you do it?"

Although Lin Yufan had been an editor in her past life, she didn't have many tricks, "Because the themes of the stories are different, I think from the characters' perspectives when I write, so the content comes out differently. I haven't really thought deeply about these profound thought patterns."

"It must be talent! Truly admirable. You don't know, the readers of 'Southern and Northern Heroes' still look down on us readers of 'Sorceress Legend'..."

Lin Yufan really didn't know about these things, "Where do your readers usually communicate?"

"There's a 'Reader's Newspaper' in Hong Kong, published monthly, specifically for readers to contribute. The latest issue is very lively, with your readers debating. I brought it, I'll show you later."

Lin Yufan had heard Wang Muxun mention the 'Reader's Newspaper,' but she hadn't paid much attention to it then.

She was about to reply when she saw a slightly run-down car emerge from the depths of the parking lot.

The car stopped beside Xu Houjia.

Three or four people got out, quickly covering Xu Houjia's mouth and pulling him into the car.

Lin Yufan screamed, "Quick! Quick! Someone's grabbing Xu Houjia!"

Tie Long, who was standing behind Lin Yufan, reacted quickly, immediately drew his gun and rushed out.

Zhang Wei, who usually went out with bodyguards, and his bodyguard quickly ran over to try to stop the small, broken car.

Lin Yufan also pulled out a pistol from her purse, aiming at the car's tires to shoot, but noticed Zhang Wei was nearby in her line of sight, and she wasn't confident in her shooting skills.

Bang!

Tie Long fired a shot!

The car's windshield shattered instantly, but the driver wasn't hit.

The car quickly passed Tie Long.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The person in the passenger seat raised a gun, leaned out the window, and fired randomly at Tie Long.

As the gunshots rang out, some people around screamed, and others, unaware of the situation, quickly ran inside.

Lin Yufan hid behind a pillar, still aiming at the speeding car tire.

Zhang Wei and his bodyguard also failed to stop the small, beat-up car and were almost knocked down.

As the car got closer to Lin Yufan, she pulled the trigger—bang bang bang bang bang! She unleashed a wild barrage of bullets!

Boom! A deafening blast echoed.

Amid the hail of bullets, one struck the tire.

The car swerved sharply, crashing into other cars in the parking lot and sending them spinning.

Bang bang bang! It wasn’t clear if Tie Long or Zhang Wei’s bodyguard had shot the passenger.

The others in the car pulled out their weapons and returned fire.

At that moment, Zhao Zhiao's car entered the parking lot from the entrance, followed by Brother Bing.

Brother Bing, holding a submachine gun, got out of the car with his men, with a menacing air.

Seeing this, the people in the small, beat-up car grabbed Xu Houjia and bolted toward the edge of the parking lot.

With no walls to block them and Xu Houjia as a hostage, Brother Bing and his men couldn’t risk firing recklessly.

Xu Houjia seemed to have been drugged, and hauling an unconscious body made it difficult to escape. In the end, the thugs shoved Xu Houjia aside and fled.

There was a car waiting by the roadside, and the group made a quick getaway.

Zhao Zhiao had already pulled Lin Yufan behind him, her hands trembling slightly from the strain.

She filled him in on what happened.

Uncertain what drug Xu Houjia had been given, they rushed him to the hospital and alerted the Xu family.

Mrs. Xu arrived at the hospital, joined by Mrs. Luo, Mrs. Peng, and others from her mahjong game.

Finally relaxed upon learning her son was awake and undergoing a check-up, she grasped Lin Yufan’s hand, grateful. "Thank goodness you were there, or Houjia would’ve been kidnapped."

Lin Yufan replied, "I was in shock too—it all happened so fast."

Not long after, Xu Aizhou also arrived, and he and Zhao Zhiao huddled in conversation.

Zhao Zhiao asked, "Have you crossed anyone lately?"

Xu Aizhou shook his head. "I haven’t made any enemies. You know I steer clear of trouble."

Zhao Zhiao warned, "When I arrived at the scene, I saw the guns they were holding—they looked very much like the standard-issue weapons of the Military Statistics Bureau."

"The Nationalist Military Statistics Bureau?" Xu Aizhou’s voice dropped. "Recently, someone tried to rent our cargo ship for a Taiwan run, but without proper permits, I turned them down. They kept pushing, but I held firm."

It had to be the Confidential Section, trying to strongarm Xu Aizhou into helping them smuggle supplies by targeting his family.

Zhao Zhiao warned, "Lay low for a while. If you must go out, take bodyguards with you."

*Note: The Nationalist Military Statistics Bureau (MSS) was a covert intelligence agency during the Republic of China era, known for its involvement in espionage and counterintelligence operations.*

Xu Aizhou nodded, suddenly remembering that his daughter was still at work at the newspaper. He quickly instructed his subordinates, "Send a car to pick up my daughter immediately. Have her take leave and stay at home for now, and avoid going to the newspaper."

As soon as the subordinate left, another person rushed over, whispering nervously into Xu Aizhou's ear.

"What?!" Xu Aizhou's blood pressure shot up, and he almost passed out.

*

Xu Aizhou's daughter, Xu Yinger, was kidnapped.

To avoid drawing the kidnappers' attention, Zhao Zhiao and Lin Yufan did not accompany Mrs. Xu and her entourage back to the Xu residence.

They waited in the living room for a call.

Lin Yufan had fired her gun too hard earlier, and the recoil bruised her hand. Zhao Zhiao was applying healing balm to her injury.

"Your aim was quite accurate. If you hadn't shot out the tire, Xu Yinger might have really been taken. When we get a chance, I'll take you to the shooting range to practice more. It could save your life in critical moments."

Lin Yufan was still freaked out, "I'm freaked out now, but at the time, I wasn't afraid at all. I was only worried about missing and accidentally hitting Zhang Wei."

Zhao Zhiao reminded her, "In situations like this, staying alive is the most important thing."

Lin Yufan nodded, "I know, which is why I only dared to hide behind the column and aim. I was afraid that running forward would slow everyone down."

After a while, Xu Aizhou called.

Xu Aizhou said in a rush, "Someone did call. They demanded that I transport a batch of goods for their friend to Taiwan, and they would release Yinger. If we call the police, they'll take her out."

Zhao Zhiao asked, "Did you agree?"

Xu Aizhou didn't dare to call the local cops, as they were unreliable. "I took your advice and agreed to their terms. They'll bring the goods tomorrow morning, load them, and send them off right away."

Zhao Zhiao continued to advise him, "Just do as they say and play along."

Xu Aizhou asked anxiously, "Will they really let Yinger go?"

Zhao Zhiao replied, "We can't trust the enemy to keep their word. I'll arrange for some help on my end."

Xu Aizhou said, "Alright, I'm counting on you."

After hanging up, Zhao Zhiao instructed Shen Te to watch closely Qin Hai and others from the Confidential Affairs Department.

He also called Guang Touli, asking his men to keep an eye out at the dock.

Guang Touli asked, "Should we bring in Cui Yuan?"

Zhao Zhiao thought for a moment, "Let him join."

*

Cui Yuan drove to the dock, his sidekick Shuitou in the passenger seat, smoking and vowing to learn to drive soon.

While waiting at a traffic light, Shuitou noticed someone standing at the entrance of a small alley, munching on sugarcane.

The person seemed relaxed, but his eyes were darting around.

"Isn't that the guy who nabbed Professor Bai last time?"

Cui Yuan became alert, "What do you mean?"

Shuitou explained, "Last time, we took a job to rescue a Professor Bai. That professor was being guarded by the guy in front. His name is something like A Xi. I wanted to shoot him, but Professor Bai said A Xi had treated him well and begged me to spare his life. So, I just tied him up and let him go. You were still in prison at the time."

Cui Yuan realized this guy was with the Confidential Affairs Department.

He instructed the leader of the water team to take a taxi to the dock to meet up with the others, while he found a public phone booth to call and report the situation.

Ms. Guan quickly passed on the message to Zhao Zhiao: "Cui Yuan has spotted a man named A Xi working under Pei Xing appearing in Richard Street, Lane 2."

Meanwhile, Shen Te also made progress. Qin Hai went to an underground casino again, and this time they finally discovered Pei Xing's whereabouts.

Pei Xing came out of the underground casino and went to Richard Street, Lane 2, House No. 15.

It was unclear whether Richard Street, Lane 2, House No. 15 was Pei Xing's new hideout or the place where Xu Yinger was being hidden.

"Tell Cui Yuan not to act recklessly."

Last time, Cui Yuan unexpectedly appeared in Yang Liu's monitoring room and, before killing Long Jing, claimed that Long Jing had betrayed him. Zhao Zhiao could never fully trust Cui Yuan.

After a long day of surveillance and investigation, it was finally determined that Room 302, House No. 15, Lane 2, Richard Street was Pei Xing's new hideout.

As for whether Xu Yinger was hidden there, it was still uncertain.

*

Early in the morning, Pei Xing and his group emerged from Richard Street, Lane 2.

Xiao Zheng led some men to the warehouse, while he and A Xi drove to the more remote northern district.

In the car, A Xi handed over the breakfast he had bought to Pei Xing, "Boss Xing!"

Pei Xing took a couple of bites of the soggy youtiao and complained, "You can't even buy a proper youtiao."

A Xi remained silent.

When they reached the northern district, they passed through a sugarcane plantation and drove into a mountain path.

Finally, they stopped in front of an asbestos-roofed house.

Two people were guarding the front, both members of the second group of the Security Department.

A Xi handed out the food to everyone.

Pei Xing glanced inside the house and asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, she's not crying or causing any trouble, very quiet."

A Xi brought the food in for Xu Yinger to eat, offering her a bun that was still warm. Xu Yinger refused to eat.

A Xi whispered, "You won't be let go until the cargo ship reaches Taiwan. If you don't eat, you'll starve."

Xu Yinger glanced at A Xi again and hesitantly took a small bite. Seeing that the man in front of her wasn't as harsh as the others, she whispered a plea, "Can I use the bathroom?"

Xu Yinger's hands and feet were tied, so even if they provided her with a basin, they would have to untie her hands.

A Xi wasn't authorized to make the decision, so he went out to ask Pei Xing.

Pei Xing knew that Xu Yinger would be kept prisoner for at least half a month, and it was unrealistic to not let her use the bathroom for that long.

He instructed A Xi, "Go buy a chamber pot."

A Xi said, "I don't have any money."

Pei Xing was about to kick him but missed. He cursed, "What can you even do?"

Then he took out two dollars from his pocket and tossed it to him.

*

Today, actions were being taken simultaneously in multiple locations.

Meanwhile, Shen Te brought a phone list, detailing the call records from Pei Xing's new residence over the past month.

After learning Pei Xing's address yesterday, they used connections to check the call records at the telephone office.

Indeed, with Pei Xing moving so often, the phone number at his new residence wasn't encrypted.

Zhao Zhiao scrutinized the phone numbers on the paper. Apart from calls to Qin Hai, the captain of the third team, and the captain of the first team, there were hardly any outgoing calls.

However, there were four or five incoming calls, mostly between 8 PM and 9 PM.

Shen Te said, "I've checked; these four or five calls were all from public phone booths."

Zhao Zhiao inquired, "Which areas?"

Shen Te opened a map and lightly circled an area with his finger, "Almost all around the base of Yunping Mountain."

All near the base of our mountain?

Zhao Zhiao grew alert and suddenly remembered something.

He asked, "Where does Director Peng live?"

Shen Te pointed to the edge of the area he had just circled, "Right here."

Zhao Zhiao remembered the fire that had led to Zhang Aiming's accident; he had been in Chongqing then.

"During the fire here last year, besides family members, who else was there?"

Shen Te recalled, "Mrs. Xu, Miss Xu, Mrs. Luo, Mrs. Peng, Ji Shuping, and their attendants were there. They were meeting to plan the construction of a primary school in the hut area. The meeting was initially set at Mrs. Peng's house, but due to water damage to her floor, it was moved to the Zhao family garden."

Mrs. Peng? Zhao Zhiao looked up and asked, "And my wife?"

"She went to offer incense with Mrs. Xu, and it seems Mrs. Peng was with them!"