Chapter 456 It's Good to Have a Name, No Need to Be a Wandering Ghost
Gong Wentao, along with Asen and five others, boarded the cargo ship that came to pick them up. Standing on the deck, he gazed ahead, his entire body tense.
Li Cheng was already waiting by the shore. Those who had been with Young Master Zi for a long time were already very familiar with Gong Wentao.
"Uncle Gong, the accommodation has been arranged. It's right opposite He Zhen's house, so you can monitor her from home."
Li Cheng had always been very polite to Gong Wentao, not just because Young Master Zi respected Gong Wentao, but because Gong Wentao's capabilities were truly admirable to all of them.
"What is the identity of the new man she found?"
"He doesn't have much of an identity in Mi Province, but the man's relatives seem to be high-ranking officials in Mi Province."
Gong Wentao let out a sarcastic laugh. He Zhen's standard for choosing men was either rich or powerful; otherwise, she wouldn't pay attention.
He himself had been the most promising team member back then, which was why she had taken a liking to him.
"Did she come back with that man alone?"
"No, there was also a six or seven-year-old girl. According to what we've gathered, this girl isn't the man's child. It seems He Zhen brought her."
"Heh, how many men has she found in total? Bring that girl over, I want to see He Zhen tonight."
Li Cheng was surprised. He thought Uncle Gong would find out everything before making a move.
"Won't this make He Zhen even more unwilling to reveal Xiao Bao's whereabouts?"
Mentioning Xiao Bao, Gong Wentao closed his eyes with grief. He knew in his heart that the possibility of Xiao Bao being alive was very slim.
"I don't want to wait anymore. I want it to be over tonight."
Li Cheng sighed in his heart and quickly sent people to make arrangements.
Asen and the others had lived in Mi Province for several months before, so they were somewhat familiar with the place.
"Uncle Gong, we'll go out for a bit too. We must not fail tonight."
"Heh, kidnapping two people doesn't require so much trouble. Don't make me doubt your abilities. And I really don't believe a new man would go all out for He Zhen."
However, Gong Wentao miscalculated. He Zhen's new man might not go all out for He Zhen, but he would definitely not let anyone slap his face. The moment Li Cheng's men abducted the little girl, he immediately reported it to the police.
But He Zhen never thought of Gong Wentao, a man she believed to be dead. After all, she had personally witnessed Gong Wentao perish in the fire back then.
"Liven, hurry and think of a way! Xiao Ting can't be in trouble."
The middle-aged man named Liven had a gloomy expression. He suddenly grabbed He Zhen's chin.
"These people didn't abduct anyone else, why did they specifically abduct Xiao Ting? You should think about who you've offended before."
He Zhen also looked impatient and swatted away Liven's grasp.
"Who could I have offended? Don't forget who I've been with all these years, and don't forget whose child Xiao Ting is. If something happens to her, neither of us will survive."
"What does that have to do with me? Did you take that man's money? Or did you promise him you'd take care of Xiao Ting? I've never spent a cent of your money. No matter how you calculate it, it doesn't involve me."
"You, you scoundrel! If something happens to Xiao Ting, I'll definitely say you caused it. Neither of us will escape."
Liven seemed to have thought of something, and his tone softened.
"Haven't I already reported it to the police? Someone has to investigate."
He Zhen didn't have the mood to argue anymore. She turned and left the house. She had to go to the police station herself; she wouldn't feel at ease without getting any news.
"Hmph, you slut. Who knows which man you've been messing with in private."
Liven watched the closed door and spat fiercely. His eyes darted around, and he went to He Zhen's bedroom. After searching for a while, he cursed even more.
"Stinking woman, where could you have hidden so many diamonds? When I find them, I'll personally send you to feed the fish."
Not long after He Zhen left the house, she started to feel scared. After all, the nights in Mi Province were quite chaotic.
People tend to think of things when they shouldn't. As soon as she started thinking, she heard a noise.
"Who, who's there?"
"Don't play any tricks, I'm telling you, I..."
"Mmmph— mmmph—"
When He Zhen opened her eyes again, she saw a tall figure by the window. The moonlight shone on the person, making He Zhen feel a sense of familiarity.
"You, cough, cough, who are you? Why did you grab me?"
Gong Wentao turned around and walked towards He Zhen step by step. Each step landed heavily on He Zhen's heart. The closer he got, the more danger He Zhen felt.
Gong Wentao stopped when he was three steps away from He Zhen.
He Zhen blinked her eyes hard, but no matter how many times she blinked, the person in front of her didn't change. All of this was real.
"How could this be? How is it possible? You're not dead?"
"Don't come near me, ghost!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Wentao, please forgive me. I just wanted a better life. I had no other choice back then. If you hadn't died, we wouldn't have been able to leave."
Gong Wentao had no reaction to He Zhen's wailing. He didn't even interrupt her, listening patiently.
He Zhen's voice became hoarse from crying and shouting. She also knew clearly that the person in front of her was real. Suddenly, she was no longer afraid and became arrogant instead.
"Gong Wentao, be smart and let me go quickly. Did you also abduct Xiao Ting? As long as you let us go, I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
Gong Wentao took the gloves handed to him by Asen, slowly put them on, completed the remaining three steps, and yanked He Zhen's hair, slamming her head against the wall.
"Ah—"
"Bang, bang, bang."
After several blows, Gong Wentao released He Zhen. He Zhen, with blood all over her face and her consciousness blurred, lay on the ground.
Gong Wentao then turned on the light and looked at the woman covered in blood, a woman who had been weathered by time.
Asen walked in carrying the little girl and casually threw her on the ground.
"Wuwuwu, Mom, Xiao Ting is scared."
He Zhen reacted and turned her head with difficulty. The first thing she saw was Gong Wentao's face, that once handsome face now covered in horrifying scars on half of it.
"I was wrong, please let me go. Don't you want to know Xiao Bao's whereabouts? If I die, no one in the world will know where he is."
Gong Wentao finally spoke, but his words not only made He Zhen disbelieve, but even Asen and the others on the side thought they had misheard.
"A child with half your blood in her veins is not worth keeping. Because seeing her reminds me of you. Death is the best release for her."
"You, how is that possible? He is your only child! No, do you have other children? No wonder."
Gong Wentao suddenly reached out and squeezed the little girl's neck. He controlled his strength well, just enough for the little girl to feel a slight sense of suffocation without harming her, but giving He Zhen the illusion that the girl was about to be choked to death.
"Mmph, cough, cough, Mom, save me."
"Let her go, Gong Wentao, don't forget what you used to do. If you hurt Xiao Ting, your sins will never be washed away."
"Heh, I'm eliminating a pest. It's a good opportunity for this child of yours to keep your Xiao Bao company. Their existence in this world is the biggest mistake."
Gong Wentao applied a little more force, and the little girl stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes.
"Don't hurt her, she's not the same as Xiao Bao!"
Hearing this, Gong Wentao almost stumbled and fell to the ground. Asen quickly reached out to support him. A Liang pulled the little girl over and continued to hold her by the neck, but he had already given her a chance to breathe.
He Zhen reacted quickly and immediately saw the anomaly in Gong Wentao.
"Hahahaha, Gong Wentao, it turns out you haven't changed at all. You can still be controlled by me. Do you want to know where Xiao Bao is? Beg me!"
"Damn it, I can't take it anymore. Let's beat her first."
A Liang delivered a flying kick directly to He Zhen's mouth, followed by a flurry of kicks.
"Break her legs first. Doesn't she like to run? I'll see how she runs later."
"Got it! I'll definitely make sure she can't run anymore."
He Zhen was kicked to the ground, unable to move. Blood continued to gush from her mouth. Looking at Gong Wentao, who was unmoved, she finally realized at this moment that this man had truly changed and could no longer be manipulated by her.
"If I die, Xiao Bao won't live either!"
This sentence no longer elicited a reaction from Gong Wentao, because he already knew in his heart that his Xiao Bao was gone. What was the point of anything else He Zhen said?
He Zhen then endured the torture of having her limbs broken. The little girl beside her was already scared stiff, not crying or making a sound.
"Uncle Gong, use the medicine. I'm afraid this woman won't live much longer."
Gong Wentao held the medicine in his hand but still gave He Zhen a final word.
"Before, I never touched your family because it was Xiao Bao's maternal relatives, and I didn't want him to hate me when he found out. But now, I will send them one by one to accompany you and my Xiao Bao."
"No, you, can't, cough cough."
Seeing Uncle Gong nod, Asen quickly took the medicine and sprinkled it on He Zhen. Soon, He Zhen's consciousness became blurred.
"Where is Xiao Bao?"
"She died. She fell gravely ill and died on the way to the border."
Gong Wentao stumbled and fell to the ground. The shock of guessing and hearing it with his own ears was undoubtedly different.
Gong Wentao was helped up and walked out of the room with unsteady steps. He didn't need to hear the rest. He even felt that He Zhen's voice was the most unpleasant sound in the world.
Asen was responsible for continuing the interrogation, while A Liang quietly followed behind Gong Wentao.
"Plop."
"Uncle Gong!"
The few people who appeared in Mi Province that day disappeared overnight. The abducted little girl returned home safely, but she never spoke another word. He Zhen, who had left home that night, was reported as a missing person, and no one ever saw her again.
Gong Wentao woke up three days later. The first thing he saw was a familiar room, and an elder with white hair was propped up by the bedside.
"Dad."
Gong Hua jolted upright. Seeing his youngest son's eyes open, tears flowed uncontrollably. He reached out and tightly clasped his son's hand.
"Wentao, it's all over."
"Mmm, it's all over. Build a grave for Xiao Bao on the mountain."
"Yes, I'll find someone to build one immediately. Name him Gong Qilu!"
"Qilu! Good. It's good to have a name, at least he won't be a wandering ghost."
Gong Wentao closed his eyes again, tears flowing to his temples.