Seizing the moment when the old lady went to fetch cigarettes,

Old Mr. Jin suddenly pulled out a bill rapidly, then grabbed a pen from the old lady's table, quickly wrote something down, and stuffed it under the nearby landline phone.

Chen Fang, who witnessed this scene,

quickly rushed out.

He picked up the handset.

Indeed, there was a bill underneath.

On the bill, Chen Fang found a phone number.

Without hesitating, he quickly dialed the number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

Chen Fang tentatively asked, "I am here looking for Jinxue."

The person on the other end immediately responded with an annoyed voice, "I'm not buying insurance, I'm not buying insurance, how many times do I have to tell you?"

That statement was a kind of cover-up.

Understanding the hint, Chen Fang asked, "Old Mr. Jin, you deliberately left the signal for me, right?"

"Yeah, speak up, if you have something to say, say it quick,"

continued Old Mr. Jin, still speaking unfriendly.

Chen Fang asked, "Jinxue is still in Guyang City, isn't she?"

"Go on."

"Jinxue is in danger, isn't she?"

"Alright, alright, I don't want to waste words with you, that's it for now; if needed, I'll contact you."

This response was practically an admission.

But right after saying this, the call was disconnected.

"Is that it?"

Yu Zhengchuan asked puzzledly

Chen Fang pondered for a moment, then said, "Be patient, he must be unable to speak freely now; he will definitely find a way to contact me."

As soon as he finished speaking.

With a 'ding',

a text message came through.

Chen Fang hurriedly opened it, only to see a few words: "Meet at Qinglong Bridge at 8 pm tonight."

The ability to arrange a meeting at eight in the evening.

Indicated that Jinxue was not in immediate danger.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

And so, they waited.

Until after seven-thirty in the evening.

The other three waited from afar.

Chen Fang alone walked onto Qinglong Bridge, located on Taigu Street.

This bridge, situated in a busy area, had plenty of people coming and going. The sidewalk was filled with various vendors, conducting small businesses, adding to the bustle.

Chen Fang found a secluded corner, lit a cigarette, and looked around.

Suddenly, a voice asked, "Buddy, got a light?"

Chen Fang turned around, about to pull out his lighter, but he saw the middle-aged man he had met at the hotel wearing a cap and a tracksuit—Old Mr. Jin.

"Old Mr. Jin!"

Chen Fang exclaimed excitedly.

Old Mr. Jin glanced around, then casually lit his cigarette and said, "Act normal. Listen to me first, Jinxue is temporarily safe. However, after today, Tang Zhuqing is very likely to make a move on her. If you really want to help Jinxue, you better hurry. She's being held on the fourth floor of Fangyuan Hotel; I don't know the exact room."

"What exactly is going on? Who is Tang Zhuqing? And who is Jinxue? Why would someone want her dead?"

Chen Fang asked.

Old Mr. Jin paused, then asked, "Have you heard of Xu Mao?"

"Xu Mao?"

Chen Fang shivered.

His face showed a frightened expression as he asked, "You're not talking about that Xu Mao who just retired from the high position, are you?"

Old Mr. Jin nodded, saying, "The Jinxue you're talking about is my young mistress, also Xu Mao's eldest granddaughter."

Boom!

It struck like a bolt from the blue.

Chen Fang was stunned on the spot.

Suddenly, he remembered the introduction to the three major noble families by Qinshi Mingyue before he took up his new post in Yong'an Province.

The second-ranked family was the Xu Family, controlled by Xu Mao.

Back then, Old Qin had said that noble families were far beyond his reach and he would never dream of not only coming into contact with one but also inadvertently getting involved in their power struggle.

Xu Mao had two sons.

One was named Xu Li, and the other Xu Guan.

The elder son, Xu Li, was the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The younger son, Xu Guan, was the chairman of the largest of the three major oil companies, Huaxia Oil.

This girl Xu Jinxue, was Xu Li's daughter,

and Xu Mao's most beloved granddaughter.

Xu Jinxue's full name is Xu Jinxue, and she also has an older brother named Xu Xuchuan. Both children were born to Xu Guan's first wife, Zhang Rou.

When Jinxue was 3 years old,

Zhang Rou went back to Wulan City to visit relatives.

Unexpectedly, she was robbed on the way.

Zhang Rou was raped and then killed by several thugs, and her body, along with her driver's, was dumped in the wilderness, only to be discovered several days later.

Hearing this,

Chen Fang's heart skipped a beat and he asked, "Jinxue told me that her father divorced her mother, she didn't tell me she was dead."

"That's what her father lied to her about. If he had told her at that time how her mother died, both children were so young, they wouldn't have been able to accept it,"

Old Jin sighed as he spoke.

Not long after Zhang Rou's death,

Xu Guan remarried, and this woman is Tang Zhuqing.

Later, Tang Zhuqing gave birth to a daughter named Xu Xianzhen.

"Jinxue has been in poor health since she was a child, often suffering from nosebleeds, so she could only recuperate at home and could hardly go out. Some time ago, Jinxue fainted at home and was taken to the hospital, where doctors issued a critical condition notice, saying she wouldn't live much longer. Originally, this was kept from her, but somehow she found out and sneaked out of the house. The master was extremely anxious, the lady volunteered to come to find her, and it was only after great difficulty that they found her today,"

Old Jin continued.

Hearing this,

Chen Fang was taken aback.

He asked, "You just said, your master loves this granddaughter deeply, since she has been found, there should be no problem, right? Who would still harm her?"

Old Jin glanced around and said, "The young miss has been found, but the lady has forbidden anyone from revealing that the young miss was found. You should know the young miss is seriously ill…"

Although he didn't state it outright,

Chen Fang suddenly understood.

He asked, "Are you saying, your lady is deliberately not telling anyone she found Jinxue, because she wants to hand over a dead body to the Xu family?"

Old Jin let out a long sigh, nodded, and said, "The young miss has been missing for so long, the master has actually already given up hope. Even if the news of the young miss's death came now, I think he has already prepared himself mentally."

Thinking back to the conversation he overheard at the barbecue restaurant,

Chen Fang asked, "This Lady Tang, also known as Tang Zhuqing, her goal is for her biological daughter Xu Xianzhen to inherit Xu Guan's estate, right?"

"That should be the case,"

Uncle Jin said.

Chen Fang frowned and said, "In such a major family, inheritance is usually passed on to male heirs. Even if Jinxue were to die, doesn't she still have a brother? How could it possibly fall to the youngest daughter?"

Uncle Jin started,

and suddenly looked at Chen Fang, asking, "Didn't Jinxue tell you that her brother Xu Xuchuan has already been sacrificed?"

Another blow to the head!

Chen Fang was instantly dumbfounded.

"Sacrificed? How was he sacrificed?"

Chen Fang swallowed hard and asked.

"It should have been five years ago…"

At the age of 19, Xu Xuchuan was admitted to the military academy and graduated at the age of 23 with exceptionally excellent results. He voluntarily requested to serve in his mother's hometown of Wulan City.

He was then assigned to a military unit stationed in Wulan City as a junior officer.

Five years ago, when Xu Xuchuan was 25, on a night returning to the barracks during a leave, he encountered four thugs assaulting a young girl.

He didn't even think before he intervened.

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