klisemfg Chapter 961 What are you hiding?
Chapter 961 What are you hiding?
The grandfather clock in the living room struck eleven, its dull sound echoing in the empty space, startling the green plants on the windowsill into a slight sway. Teng Zijing tightened his grip on the empty wine glass, causing the condensed water droplets on the glass to slide down his fingers and drip onto the dark carpet, leaving a small, dark stain.
He got up and put the wine glass back in the wine cabinet, the weariness in his eyes reflected as the glass door closed. Just as he turned away, his phone vibrated again; this time it was a text message from an unknown number, containing only one line: "Liu Lu is missing."
Teng Zijing's brows furrowed instantly. He walked to the sofa, picked up his coat, and typed an address on the screen. The other party replied almost instantly: "The abandoned factory in the west of the city. The last time the surveillance footage showed him going that way was in the abandoned factory."
When we drove to the west of the city, the night was already as dark as ink. The iron gates of the abandoned factory were rusty and creaked in the wind. The streetlights in the distance were blurred into haloed shadows in the fog, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and damp mold.
Teng Zijing parked the car in a secluded spot, took out his phone, and turned on the flashlight. The beam pierced the darkness, illuminating the mottled walls of the factory. Abandoned wooden crates were piled in the corner, and cobwebs were densely woven on the beams. His footsteps on the gravel made a soft "crunching" sound, which was particularly clear in the silence.
"Come out, stop hiding." His voice wasn't loud, but it had a penetrating quality, echoing throughout the factory.
A rustling sound came from the shadows. Liu Lu emerged from behind a rusty iron pipe, his arms crossed, his face ashen. "Master Jing... I really didn't know that thing would cause such a big problem." His trouser legs were covered in mud, and there was a fresh bruise on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had been chased.
Teng Zijing's flashlight beam shone on his face: "Where's the stuff?"
Liu Lu flinched, pulled out a palm-sized USB drive from his pocket, his hands trembling violently: "It's...it's right here. Qi Haoyu said it contains Antai's core technologies from the past few years, as well as evidence of Lou Xiaoyun's embezzlement of public funds...He said that as long as he has this, he can change his identity and start a new life in Europe."
"So you believed him?" Teng Zijing sneered. "If he could really get away unscathed, would he have made you come all this way?"
Liu Lu's lips trembled, and he suddenly squatted down, covering his face: "I was forced into this by him! Three years ago, he approached me and said that if I helped him get the technology out of the country, he would give me half of my fortune. I thought it was just about making a quick buck, who knew it would involve so many lives..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of an engine suddenly came from outside the factory, and two headlights pierced the darkness, shining directly on them. Teng Zijing quickly pulled Liu Lu behind the iron pipe, while he himself hid in the shadows, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.
The car door opened, and two men in black suits got out. One of them held a photo in his hand and scanned the factory floor: "The boss said, we need to see the person alive or dead. We have to get that thing back."
Another man pulled out a baton and twirled it in his hand: "Search!"
The footsteps grew closer, and Liu Lu's breath almost stopped; his hands, gripping the USB drive, were drenched in cold sweat. Teng Zijing pulled a folding knife from his back, his knuckles white—he recognized the two men; they were Lou Xiaoyun's bodyguards, notoriously ruthless.
"Over here!" one of them suddenly shouted, his beam of light shining behind the iron pipe. Teng Zijing shoved Liu Lu aside abruptly, then rolled sideways behind the wooden crate, his folding knife snapping open with a "whoosh," a cold glint flashing in the darkness.
The baton came hurtling towards him with a whoosh. Teng Zijing ducked to avoid it, the blade grazing his opponent's wrist and leaving a bloody gash. The man cried out in pain, and another man immediately pounced on him, the two wrestling. Teng Zijing's movements were swift and ruthless; his elbow struck the man's ribs, and taking advantage of the man's momentary bent-over, he slammed the hilt of his knife into the back of his head. The man groaned and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the remaining one pulled out his gun and pointed it at Teng Zijing: "Don't move!"
Teng Zijing paused, but his gaze swept towards the direction where Liu Lu was hiding—the kid had somehow climbed towards the back door, still clutching the USB drive tightly in his hand.
"Hand over the stuff!" the gunman roared. The moment Liu Lu distracted him, Teng Zijing suddenly ducked, kicking the man's face with loose stones while lunging to grab the gun. The two wrestled on the ground, the gunshots echoing through the factory, deafening everyone.
Liu Lu's legs went weak with fear, and he scrambled out the back door. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he was blinded by a car headlight. A black sedan stopped at the alley entrance, the window rolled down, revealing Lou Xiaoyun's gloomy face: "Mr. Liu, have you run enough?"
The USB drive in Liu Lu's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." He turned to run back, but was grabbed by the shoulder by someone who got out of the car. Lou Xiaoyun walked over, picked up the USB drive, wiped it with a handkerchief, and sneered: "Qi Haoyu knows how to find a scapegoat. Too bad you don't have his luck."
He waved his hand, and two bodyguards grabbed Liu Lu and shoved him into the back of the car. Just then, a second gunshot rang out from inside the factory, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. Lou Xiaoyun's expression changed slightly, and he was about to send someone to check when Teng Zijing walked out of the back door, toying with the gun in his hand, his shirt sleeve stained red with blood.
"President Lou is certainly well-informed." Teng Zijing's voice carried a chill in the night fog. "Is Antai's technology worth trading a few lives for?"
Lou Xiaoyun gripped the USB drive tightly, his eyes dark and menacing: "Teng Zijing, this is a family matter for Antai, it's none of your business to interfere."
“Family matters?” Teng Zijing laughed. “Selling core technology to foreign companies and embezzling public funds to cover personal losses—if that’s considered family matters, then half the people in prison should be home for dinner.” He took two steps forward, slowly raising the muzzle of his gun. “Leave the USB drive; you can take the person with you.”
Lou Xiaoyun's bodyguards immediately stepped in front of him, and the atmosphere became tense. The wind at the alley entrance suddenly picked up, stirring up dust that stung people's eyes.
"Brother Jing!" Deng Zhouyi's voice rang out from afar. Several SUVs sped towards them, their headlights illuminating the alleyway as if it were daytime. Deng Zhouyi and his men jumped out of the cars, each clutching a weapon. "My brother said you might be here, and he was right!"
Lou Xiaoyun's face darkened completely. He glanced at Liu Lu, who was being held up, then at the gun in Teng Zijing's hand, and finally gritted his teeth: "Let's go!"
The bodyguard released Liu Lu and quickly disappeared into the night with Lou Xiaoyun's car. Liu Lu slumped to the ground, panting heavily, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.
Deng Zhouyi walked over to Teng Zijing and saw the injury on his arm: "Brother, you're injured!"
“A minor injury.” Teng Zijing tossed him the gun. “Clean it up.” He turned to Liu Lu. “Now you can tell me, where exactly is Qi Haoyu?”
Liu Lu looked up, his eyes filled with fear: "He...he was locked up in a warehouse in the suburbs by Lou Xiaoyun. I overheard them on the phone saying they were going to make him 'disappear'..."
Teng Zijing's gaze darkened. Deng Zhouyi had already called a doctor, who was treating his wounds. When the alcohol swabs touched his skin, he didn't even flinch.
"Prepare the car." He stood up. "To the suburban warehouse."
Deng Zhouyi was taken aback: "Brother, go now? Lou Xiaoyun must have planted spies."
“By daylight, he’ll really be gone.” Teng Zijing pulled his coat over his shoulders. “Liu Lu, you lead the way.”
Liu Lu hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and got up from the ground. He knew that only by following Teng Zijing could he have a chance to survive.
As the convoy drove towards the suburbs, the sky was already beginning to lighten. The warehouse was hidden in a grove of trees, its iron gates tightly shut, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind. Teng Zijing left most of his men on the outer perimeter, taking only Deng Zhouyi and two skilled bodyguards, and sneaked inside by scaling the wall.
The warehouse reeked of diesel fuel, and old tires were piled up in the corner. In the dim light streaming through the window, a person could be seen bound to the ground—it was Qi Haoyu. His face was covered in wounds, and his mouth was stuffed with cloth. When he saw Teng Zijing, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Shh." Teng Zijing made a shushing gesture and was about to untie the ropes binding him when footsteps suddenly came from outside the warehouse. He quickly hid behind a tire, and Deng Zhouyi and his men also hid.
The door was pushed open, and Lou Xiaoyun walked in, followed by two bodyguards. He kicked Qi Haoyu's leg: "Are you going to talk or not? Where is Mu Xiaoji's contact information?"
Qi Haoyu glared at him, making "woo-woo" sounds. Lou Xiaoyun impatiently ripped the cloth out of his mouth: "Don't think you can get away with this by playing dumb. When you sold his research data to Liu Lu, you should have thought this day would come."
“You won’t find him.” Qi Haoyu’s voice was hoarse, but with a strange smile. “Mu Xiaoji’s abilities are far greater than you imagine… You’ve messed with his people, and you’ll get your comeuppance sooner or later.”
"Retribution?" Lou Xiaoyun kicked him. "I'll show you what retribution is right now!" He gestured to his bodyguard, "Clean it up, don't leave any trace."
Just as the bodyguards were about to make their move, Teng Zijing suddenly rushed out from behind the tires and kicked one of them to the ground. Deng Zhouyi also led his men forward, and the warehouse instantly descended into chaos. Lou Xiaoyun, not expecting them to come, turned to run, but Teng Zijing grabbed him by the back of his collar and slammed him to the ground.
“Mr. Lou, trespassing, illegal detention, plus your previous economic crimes, are enough to get you sentenced to decades.” Teng Zijing looked down at him, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
The sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached; Deng Zhouyi had called the police in advance. Lou Xiaoyun and his bodyguards were handcuffed, their faces still filled with disbelief. After being untied, Qi Haoyu slumped to the ground, looking at Teng Zijing, his lips moving but no words coming out.
The sky was fully bright, and sunlight streamed through the windows into the warehouse, falling on the dusty floor and creating countless tiny beams of light. Teng Zijing walked out of the warehouse, took out his phone, and called An Ran.
"Are you awake?" His voice was gentler than usual.
"I just woke up and saw you weren't back yet, so I was just about to call you." An Ran's voice was still sleepy. "Have you finished taking care of things?"
"That's about it." Teng Zijing looked at the distant woods. "I'll have breakfast with you when we get back."
After hanging up the phone, Deng Zhouyi came over and handed her a bottle of water: "Brother, Qi Haoyu said he wants to see you."
Teng Zijing paused for a moment, then nodded. When he returned to the warehouse, Qi Haoyu had recovered. Seeing him, he suddenly smiled: "I should have realized that the only person who could save me was you."
"I'm not saving you, I'm saving An Tai." Teng Zijing leaned against the doorframe. "Just how much did you tamper with Mu Xiaoji's research?"
Qi Haoyu's eyes darkened: "I just wanted to prove that I could succeed without him... Unfortunately, I still lost." He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. "These are his research notes, which I stole. I'm returning them to you now."
Teng Zijing took the notebook; the cover was worn and tattered. He opened it and glanced inside. It was filled with dense formulas and sketches, written in neat and powerful handwriting.
“Tell Mu Xiaoji,” Qi Haoyu’s voice choked with emotion, “I’m sorry.”
Teng Zijing didn't speak, but turned and left the warehouse. As the police car drove away with Lou Xiaoyun and Qi Haoyu, the sunlight streamed over the treetops, warming him. He took out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Chengyu: "It's all settled. Let's get together sometime."
I quickly received a reply: "Okay, my treat."
Teng Zijing smiled, started the car, and drove back. The traffic gradually picked up; a new day had begun, and those tangled grudges could finally come to an end. He knew there were still many things to do in the future, such as accompanying An Ran's research team, watching Long Teng's new drama begin filming, and... occasionally having a drink with Jiang Chengyu and chatting about the stories hidden in his heart.