The backyard of the villa.
There was a private dock here, connecting to the former Linxi Lake.
Chen Jinzhao gazed at the vast expanse of the blue water. The former scenic spot had now become a private courtyard, likely due to some behind-the-scenes dealings.
Now was not the time to dwell on such matters; he had to find Mo He quickly.
Standing on the dock, Chen Jinzhao felt a pang of helplessness.
Linxi Lake was simply too large. It was a pipe dream for Mo He to escape from here on her own. If she had fainted midway, she could have drifted very far.
Did he need to borrow a military drone?
Just as Chen Jinzhao was at a loss, he heard the sound of water from beneath the wooden corridor bridge at his feet, like the sound of fish startled and swimming away.
Chen Jinzhao's mind went on alert, and he tentatively called out, "Mo He?"
The sound of water echoed again, but soon subsided. Chen Jinzhao immediately said, "I know you're under the corridor bridge. Come out quickly, I'm your Brother Chen, your dad asked me to take you home."
After a moment of silence, the splashing of water came from beneath the corridor bridge.
Chen Jinzhao realized his guess was correct. Mo He was indeed hiding at the dock. He took off his jacket and immediately plunged into the lake, finding the pale-faced Mo He under the corridor bridge.
Due to being submerged in water for too long, Mo He was showing severe signs of dehydration.
If no one came to her rescue, she would have become a floating corpse.
Chen Jinzhao scooped Mo He into his arms and said, "Don't speak yet, I'll take you ashore. Don't be afraid, Brother Chen will take you out."
Mo He nodded weakly.
Back on shore.
Chen Jinzhao draped the jacket he had taken off over Mo He.
Having escaped death, Mo He began to sob softly, "Brother Chen, is it really you? Am I dreaming? Or have I already died?"
"You're not dreaming. Uncle Mo is very worried about you," Chen Jinzhao comforted her.
"By the way."
"What happened last night? How did you end up here?"
Mo He sniffled and then choked out, "It's like this, for the past two semesters, I've been working part-time as a waitress at a bar near the school. Last night, when I was on the night shift, my dad called..."
Listening to Mo He's narration, Chen Jinzhao understood the whole story.
It turned out.
Mo He knew her father worked hard and so she found a part-time job at a bar.
The bar offered her good treatment, earning over two thousand yuan a month, and the people there were also kind to her, especially Sister Hong from the bar.
Last night, when Mo He was talking to Mo Chengkun on the phone, the bar owner overheard and offered to recommend her for a high-paying part-time job. Thinking of her father's potential high medical expenses, Mo He agreed without much thought. She never expected that the bar owner would secretly bring them to this villa, thus beginning their nightmare.
Sister Hong was the first to realize something was wrong. She cooperated with the other women to distract the three young men, sending Mo He away through the back door.
The three young men had never seen them before, and coupled with the excessive excitement, they had hallucinations, completely failing to notice that one girl was missing.
It could be said that those women from the "Red Dust" gave Mo He a second life.
Without their courageous intervention, Mo He would have long since...
"Brother Chen, have you seen Sister Hong?" Mo He choked out.
"They must have suffered a lot for me. Can you save them?"
Chen Jinzhao's heart was filled with complex emotions.
Although Sister Hong and the others worked in the most humble and lowly jobs, they faced evil alone at the critical moment, bringing Mo He hope of survival.
Such people were worthy of respect.
Chen Jinzhao did not tell Mo He about their fate, only assuring her that he would rescue Sister Hong and the others. Mo He was in poor physical condition, so Chen Jinzhao carried her around the garden to the entrance of the villa's courtyard.
Xu Nianqing and Xu Yaoyao got out of the car to greet them.
"How is she?" Xu Nianqing asked. Mo He's taut nerves relaxed, and she fell into a coma.
Chen Jinzhao put her in the car and said to them, "Please take her to the hospital immediately, the sooner the better, I beg you!!!"
Xu Nianqing knew the seriousness of the situation and did not waste words with Chen Jinzhao, "Okay, we'll take her to the hospital. But what about you?"
Chen Jinzhao looked back at the villa, his gaze particularly sharp. Xu Nianqing immediately understood what Chen Jinzhao was thinking and hesitated, "You should be careful. I just learned that Linxi Mountain Villa is developed by the Ning family, and the residents here are all high-ranking officials and influential figures in Ninghai."
"Mhm!"
Xu Nianqing gave Chen Jinzhao a deep look and said no more, driving Mo He to the hospital.
In the car.
Xu Yaoyao saw the worry on Xu Nianqing's face and smiled faintly, "Sister Xu, you don't need to worry about Brother Jinzhao at all. Instead, you should worry about the officials and influential figures living here."
Xu Nianqing pursed her lips, wondering if her worry was unnecessary.
"Sister Xu, do you like Brother Jinzhao?" Xu Yaoyao asked.
Xu Nianqing smiled awkwardly, "No, you misunderstood..."
Xu Yaoyao smiled without speaking.
But in her mind, she compared Xu Nianqing with Yu Mengzhi, wondering who was more suitable for Chen Jinzhao.
At that time.
Chen Jinzhao returned to the villa living room.
The scene before him made his anger surge. The woman who had fallen in the bedroom was still dead, her body unceremoniously dumped behind the sofa in the living room.
The six women, including Sister Hong, were forced to kneel on the ground.
Their faces had been slapped until they were bruised and bleeding, with crimson blood flowing from their mouths.
Sister Hong's expression changed slightly when she saw Chen Jinzhao return, and she shouted at him, "Why did you come back? Didn't I tell you to leave quickly?"
Chen Jinzhao said to Sister Hong, "Mo He has been sent away. I've come back to save you."
A hint of relief appeared on Sister Hong's face, followed by a sigh and a shake of her head as she said to Chen Jinzhao, "You're so foolish. Do you know who the owner of this villa is? Coming back now is tantamount to seeking death."
"It's too late to leave now."
As her words fell, the living room door behind them was shut.
Two youths with unsteady footsteps descended from the second floor, their faces filled with rage as they stared at Sister Hong and Chen Jinzhao. Chen Jinzhao did not see the third person, which made him feel something was amiss.
"Are you f***ing looking to die?!"
The leading youth kicked Sister Hong, causing her to spit blood. Chen Jinzhao's eyes narrowed, and he immediately stepped forward to shield Sister Hong behind him.
The youth glared at Chen Jinzhao ferociously, like a demon!
"Get the f*** out of my way!"
"We still have a score to settle. I'll settle it with you after I'm done with this woman."
Chen Jinzhao turned to look at Sister Hong, as if asking her what was going on.
A mournful smile appeared on Sister Hong's face, "I killed their eldest brother. They are demons crawled out of hell, having harmed countless innocent women. I'll exchange my life for theirs!!!"
"What a shame..."
"I couldn't kill the remaining two, and then their men arrived."