Chapter 537 Gong Wentao Appears
Gong Wentao was trapped in such agonizing torment, wanting to wake but unable to.
Meanwhile, Baili Xi woke up, his entire body itching terribly. Seeing Gong Wentao still asleep, he went over and kicked him.
"Hey, hurry up and wake up to find me medicine. I'm dying of discomfort."
This kick broke Gong Wentao's restraint, and he suddenly gasped for air desperately. His bloodshot eyes startled Baili Xi.
"What the hell are you doing, scaring people to death!"
Gong Wentao, remembering the scene from his dream, grabbed Baili Xi.
"Baili Xi, give me the final dose of medicine."
Baili Xi desperately clawed at Gong Wentao's hands, but Gong Wentao was weak. How could he possibly pry apart an iron fist?
"Let go of me quickly, don't forget your son's life depends entirely on me."
"Baili Xi, you kept Quan'er alive all these years, but you've always threatened me with his life. Now that you've alienated everyone, you still refuse to give me the medicine.
Today, this matter must be resolved, no matter what, or this will be your burial ground."
Baili Xi was not afraid at all because he had witnessed firsthand how Gong Wentao had been manipulated by him over the years; he had him completely in his grasp.
"Do you dare? Gong Wentao, from the moment you saved me, you were no longer yourself. You are destined to work for me your entire life. If I die, I guarantee your son will die immediately."
Baili Xi shook off Gong Wentao's grip, acting arrogant, but he was truly uncomfortable all over.
"Hurry up, I'm so uncomfortable. Find me some medicine."
Gong Wentao understood his powerlessness all too well; one wrong step led to a cascade of errors, but his child was too important.
"We can't go out now. Zi Yisheng has definitely sealed off the entire Chenghai City. The moment we show our heads, there'll be no chance of escape."
"Then what about me? I'm so uncomfortable."
Gong Wentao couldn't even be bothered to look at Baili Xi, feeling that Ye Shengge's medicine was too light.
"Just endure it. Ye Shengge's medicine is never fatal."
But there would be endless torment. Endure it, just as he was enduring.
Baili Xi touched his stomach. He hadn't had a drop of water since last night, and he, a pampered young master, couldn't bear it.
"Then get me something to eat."
"There's bread in the basket."
Gong Wentao lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, lost in thought. They had to stay in the cellar for at least three days. They had to exhaust Zi Yisheng's patience to have any chance of survival.
He thought of Quan'er, who was still lying in the hospital bed. He hadn't seen him in days; he wondered if he would refuse to eat.
In fact, no one had expected that for the convenience of seeing his son, he would arrange for him to be in Mingcheng. He would disguise himself and go to the hospital every day, and he had never been discovered over the years.
He also thought of Sun Fangni at home. To say he loved her was impossible. The woman in his heart, no matter how hateful, was someone he had loved profoundly.
But Sun Fangni, even if not loved, had developed a familial bond through their long time together. Moreover, they had a son between them, which was definitely unbreakable.
But now, he had harmed them. Based on his understanding of Zi Yisheng, someone who betrayed him would be dealt with ruthlessly, and there would be collateral punishment.
Perhaps his entire family, old and young, had been arrested. He dared not imagine how disappointed his elderly parents would be if they knew.
"Young Master Zi, we've found him."
Zi Yisheng was having dinner with his wife when Ouyang burst in excitedly.
"It's rare to see Ouyang like this."
Ye Shengge teased Ouyang, who, despite always being serious in public and private, also had such moments.
"Heh heh, mainly because Young Master Zi's suggestion led our people to find Gong Wentao's child in Mingcheng. His name is He Quan, he's eighteen years old, and he's been living in Mingcheng Hospital for ten years.
For the past few years, only a woman was taking care of him, but in the last few years, an old man came to take care of him every day. It's very likely Gong Wentao in disguise."
Zi Yisheng finally smiled. Now they had a bargaining chip.
"Bring the child over. Make sure there's a doctor on the way to ensure he lives to see Gong Wentao."
"He's already been brought over. What should we do next?"
Zi Yisheng wiped his mouth and looked out the window.
"Do this: broadcast throughout the city using loudspeakers, ensuring every corner can hear.
Just say, 'He Quan is in our hands. If you want to see him, come with Baili Xi.'"
There was no need to think about it; Gong Wentao knew how to choose.
Ye Shengge sighed. Why was Gong Wentao so foolish? How could the Baili family have any secret medicine? If they did, they wouldn't have survived for so many years; they would have been turned upside down by many families.
"How many people has the Baili family deceived with this secret medicine?"
"It's not necessarily all deception."
Ye Shengge stared at her husband in surprise. Was there some hidden history?
Zi Yisheng poured his wife a glass of milk. She had lost a lot of weight recently.
"The Baili family appeared in Mingcheng a hundred years ago. At that time, the head of their family was an old man nearing a hundred years old. But one day, he suddenly died. Twenty years later, he reappeared in Mingcheng, looking the same.
Since then, rumors spread that the Baili family had a secret medicine, and many people went to seek it. Gradually, the Baili family established a foothold in Mingcheng and rose to a position of sole power."
"You mean, whether the secret medicine is real or not is unknown, but they must have had something to convince people, otherwise, their influence wouldn't have grown stronger over a century."
Zi Yisheng smiled and nodded. In fact, when the higher-ups had tried to eliminate the Baili family, they had sent many people to search every inch of land and interrogated many core members of the Baili family, as who wouldn't want to live a few more years.
"But still, nothing was found."
Ye Shengge pouted. Was the propaganda power of that era so strong?
"Whether they have it or not, we'll know once we catch Baili Xi."
Sun Fangni sat numbly on the bed in the detention room, holding her crying son. Tears streamed down her face.
Wang Fengling had insisted on leaving the hospital as soon as she could walk, wanting to accompany her daughter-in-law and grandson.
Before reaching the detention room, she heard her grandson's heart-wrenching cries.
"Quick, quick, open the door, let me in."
The first thing Wang Fengling saw was her daughter-in-law's listless state. Their Gong family was guilty; her son had brought such misery upon such a good woman.
"Fangni, the child! Mother is sorry to you."
Sun Fangni finally reacted. She hugged her child and threw herself into her mother-in-law's arms.
"Mom, tell me this isn't true. Wentao wouldn't do this, would he? He wouldn't abandon me and the child, would he?
I haven't done anything wrong all these years. I even gave birth to a son. He wouldn't treat us like this, would he?"
Wang Fengling also hugged her daughter-in-law and cried. She didn't want to believe it either, but that scoundrel had done it, and it was a capital offense.
Together, the three of them cried bitterly.
If they hadn't been instructed not to trouble them, the guards outside would have already come in to reprimand them.
"Child, I'm sorry, it's Mother's fault for not educating that unfilial son. From now on, we'll pretend he doesn't exist. Mother will stay with you and raise the child, okay?"
Sun Fangni's last shred of hope crumbled. She was truly abandoned. She and her child meant nothing to him; he could abandon them for another child.
"Hahahahaha, I thought I was lucky all these years. Now it seems I was the most foolish."
Wang Fengling's heart lurched as she looked at her daughter-in-law's state. Was she going mad?
"Child, child, listen to your mother. You still have your child; you still have someone to rely on. Let's raise the child together. As for Gong Wentao, we don't need him anymore, okay? Please, Mother begs you."
Sun Fangni suddenly thrust the child into Wang Fengling's hands and turned, slamming her head against the wall.
"Ah! Fangni, help! Someone, help!"
Gong Wentao knew nothing of all this, but Zi Yisheng received the news immediately.
Ye Shengge also heard it and closed her eyes in pain.
"Can she be saved?"
"She has a death wish. It depends on whether she's willing to wake up."
Ye Shengge covered her face, her mind filled with the image of the woman who always silently did everything, then stood at a distance and smiled at them.
So good, so kind, why was she not cherished?
"I have some medicinal water. Send someone to deliver it. Have her drink a cup every day to see if it can wake her up."
This was all she could do. If the person was truly gone, her child would be truly pitiful. The old village chief and his wife were already old; how long could they take care of the child?
Gong Wentao was meditating when he suddenly heard voices, broadcast from a loudspeaker.
He quickly gestured for Baili Xi to remain silent and ran to the cellar entrance to listen carefully to the sounds outside.
"Gong Wentao, your son He Quan..."
He only heard these few words before the voice faded, but from these words, he grasped the key point: He Quan!
If Zi Yisheng hadn't truly found his son, how would he have known He Quan's name?
Gong Wentao disregarded everything and ran out of the cellar. As soon as he was out of the dangerous structure, he heard the entire message.
At this moment, Baili Xi also ran out. He had heard everything clearly. He immediately retreated, fleeing without even thinking, because he knew Gong Wentao's decision too well.
Gong Wentao chased after him and knocked him unconscious with a chop to the neck. He quickly threw him back into the cellar and then used stones to block the entrance, ensuring he couldn't escape.
Then, with a simple disguise, he calmly walked out. He then realized that cars were constantly broadcasting from loudspeakers on the streets, all to ensure he heard.
Gong Wentao went to the office building entrance alone. Of course, Asen, who had been waiting for him, was already guarding the entrance. The moment their eyes met, Asen charged forward.
Without a word, they began to fight, each blow aimed to kill.
Soon, the main entrance was heavily surrounded. Gong Wentao also managed to subdue Asen.
"You are no match for me."
"You deserve to die, traitor."
Hearing the word "traitor," Gong Wentao closed his eyes. The day had finally come.
"Take me to see Young Master Zi."
Ah Hong stopped Asen, who was still trying to fight, and waved for the encircling forces to clear a path.
"Gong Wentao, you don't know yet, but Sun Fangni committed suicide. You've caused another death, are you happy?"
Gong Wentao stumbled, but he didn't stop. Asen's heart completely died as he watched Gong Wentao's cold-blooded back.
"Village Chief Gong asked me to tell you that you are no longer a member of the Gong family. He would rather die than acknowledge your son He Quan."
Gong Wentao tightly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the whites of his eyes were red.
Zi Yisheng, upon receiving the news, stood by the window watching Gong Wentao walk towards him step by step.
"How do you plan to deal with him?"
Ye Shengge stood beside him, also watching the man he had respected for years. How had he ended up like this?
"You go to the room inside. Seeing you will only make it more difficult for him."
Ye Shengge sighed. The bond between Zi Yisheng and Gong Wentao was more than just years of acquaintance. At this moment, he was still concerned about whether he would be more embarrassed.
"Alright, you two talk."
Ye Shengge went into the inner room, poured herself a glass of water, and sat quietly, waiting.
Gong Wentao stood at the door of Zi Yisheng's office for a few seconds. He raised his hand but never knocked on the door that separated them.
Ah Hong, however, knocked for him and opened the door directly.
Gong Wentao and Zi Yisheng stared at each other. The people outside also stood guard quietly, as no one trusted that Gong Wentao wouldn't make a move on Young Master Zi.
"Come in."
Zi Yisheng spoke first. A group of people followed him into the room, as no one felt secure about Gong Wentao potentially attacking Young Master Zi.
There was silence in the office for a long time because neither of them knew what else to say.
"Baili Xi is in my hands."
"Then hand him over."
"But he has medicine that can save He Quan."
"Haven't you been unable to obtain it all these years?"
Gong Wentao walked to the desk and finally met Zi Yisheng's gaze directly.
"He did save the dying Quan'er with medicine, but he has always used the remaining medicine to control me."
"Do you think you can save He Quan?"
Gong Wentao was afraid of Zi Yisheng's casual tone. The more he was like this, the more it proved he didn't care about He Quan's life at all and might even give up on him at any moment.
Gong Wentao tightly gripped the edge of the desk, veins bulging on his arms. Ah Hong and the others also drew their guns at this moment.
"I can save him. I'm just one step away. I've already found Baili Xi's secret laboratory, where all the secrets of the Baili family are. Can I exchange that for Quan'er's life?"
Zi Yisheng raised his hand, and Ah Hong and the others put away their guns.
"I can also find out all the Baili family's secrets by capturing Baili Xi. You are not qualified to negotiate with me."
"Young Master Zi, please. Quan'er is truly pitiful. He has suffered too much since childhood."
Zi Yisheng raised his hand and smashed the water glass next to him at Gong Wentao's head. Blood flowed down with the water from the cup.
"Is your Quan'er pitiful? Is Old Village Chief Gong not pitiful? Is Sun Fangni not pitiful, or your three-year-old son not pitiful?
You abandoned so many people for someone half-dead, and you're still stubbornly clinging to this.
Gong Wentao didn't move, but there was a stubborn resolve in his eyes.
"Please, save him. You can even make me die afterward."
"Of course, you will die. You caused such a major incident; do you think you can live?"
"I also know another secret of the Baili family. I'll exchange it for Quan'er's life."