A few days after Shen Lu received the information, the person she had asked to gather intelligence replied.
"Her uncle's intention was that she had hooked up with the person in charge of the Chu Corporation, but I checked and there has been no interaction between the two in the past five years.
However, they did know each other five years ago. Quan Jiu pursued Chu Rong for eight years, and this was not uncommon at their school back then."
Upon hearing Chu Rong's name, Shen Lu's face contorted with anger. He was a man countless women dreamed of marrying, and that hussy dared to get involved with him.
"So, she chased him for eight years without success, is that right?" Shen Lu asked.
The person on the other end of the line replied, "According to my investigation, she never received any response in eight years."
Shen Lu felt reassured, then sneered, "A toad wanting to eat swan meat. Orphaned with no power or influence, where did she get the confidence to still dare to chase my Chu Gege."
"Is this case closed then?" the person on the other end asked.
Shen Lu was satisfied. She transferred the remaining payment and then stared at the information in her email with a ferocious smile.
Quan Jiu, so that's your name.
...
Quan Xingfa was so happy he almost couldn't contain himself when the stranger gave him two hundred and fifty thousand yuan for free. It wasn't just the money; honestly, he didn't really care about that amount. What was most important was that he could use this information to exchange for even more money.
He went to Chu Corporation again.
Because Chu Rong had given prior instructions, he was not stopped. Instead, he was directly escorted to the top floor of the building.
"Little Chu, good news, great news!" he shouted as soon as he entered.
Chu Rong glanced at him coldly.
Quan Xingfa's heart skipped a beat, and his voice lowered considerably, but his face remained full of smiles. "I have news about Xiao Jiu."
Chu Rong's hand, which had been holding a document, tightened, his expression stern and somber. "Say that again."
Quan Xingfa was somewhat stunned by the reaction. Shouldn't he be happy? Why...
However, he proceeded to recount everything about the mysterious man in detail.
"...The photo is indeed Xiao Jiu's photo, though she looks much more mature, and judging by her appearance, it should have been taken recently. I wanted to get the photo, but he didn't give it to me. As for who he is, I don't know, but I copied the surveillance footage." He then handed over a USB drive.
Wang Xiao took the USB drive.
Chu Rong's face was grim as he pondered. Quan Xingfa couldn't figure out what he was thinking, but he was thick-skinned. Since he had provided the information, he should be compensated.
He chuckled obsequiously. "Little Chu, I went to a lot of trouble to find out about Xiao Jiu from that mysterious person, even delaying contracts with my business partners. You see... could you invest another ten or twenty million..."
Wang Xiao couldn't help but scoff, "Do you think this is a bank?"
Quan Xingfa's purpose for visiting today was to get money, so he prioritized obtaining it. He merely shot Wang Xiao a glare and then continued with a smile, "The more you invest, the greater the return. Little Chu, since she's back, she'll definitely come home. Don't worry, when she gets home, I'll personally tie her up... bring her to you, and make sure she never runs away again."
Chu Rong gave Wang Xiao a look.
Wang Xiao, with a displeased expression, led Quan Xingfa away.
Chu Rong inserted the USB drive into his computer and opened it. The man in the video was wearing a hat and a mask, his features completely obscured. However... there were few people the Chu family couldn't find if they wanted to.
He sent the video to Butler Old Li and made another call. Less than half an hour later, Old Li sent over the personal information of the person in the photo.
Old Li called and said, "Mr. Chu, the person in the photo is a private investigator. He has been apprehended and brought to the old residence."
Chu Rong abandoned his work and returned directly to the Chu family's old residence.
...
Chu family villa. The servants were overjoyed and excited for the young master, who hadn't returned home in a long time. A large table was prepared with food and drinks.
Once Old Li confirmed the young master was returning, he immediately called the madam and the master.
Chu Zhenhua and Yuan Zijun were at a resort when they suddenly received a call from Old Li.
Yuan Zijun was displeased by the butler's interruption and asked rather curtly, "Old Li, has the sky fallen?"
Old Li chuckled, "Madam, the young master is coming home."
Yuan Zijun's face lit up. "Really? Has he found my precious daughter-in-law?"
The butler chuckled, "No, the young master has apprehended a private investigator."
Yuan Zijun's spirits immediately sank. "Then why is he going back? Tell him to leave. Until he finds my daughter, he's not allowed home." She abruptly hung up the phone.
Old Li looked around. Seeing no one was eavesdropping, he cleared his throat and instructed the servants, "Be quick with your tasks. If anything goes wrong in front of the young master, you can pack your bags and leave."
The servants repeatedly acknowledged his instructions, becoming even more cautious.
...
Gu Zhong knew he would eventually stumble, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. He had just started investigating the Chu family when he was apprehended.
Yes, even though the other party hadn't shown themselves, he had already guessed that he had fallen into the Chu family's hands. His movements were always cautious and secretive, and only the Chu family could have found him so quickly.
His eyes were blindfolded, and his mouth was gagged. Gu Zhong could only rely on his hearing. After an unknown period, he suddenly heard, "Young master, the person is inside," followed by the sound of a door opening. Then, someone removed his blindfold.
Gu Zhong stared at the person in front of him. His noble bearing, even when simply crossing his legs, exuded a lazy, majestic aura like a lion.
Falling into this man's hands, unless he cooperated, he wouldn't have a chance to survive.
Gu Zhong swallowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Chu Rong signaled to Old Li.
Old Li stepped forward and removed the cloth from Gu Zhong's mouth.
Gaining some air, Gu Zhong coughed incessantly, looking around in an attempt to escape.
"Who instructed you to inquire about my person? And where did the photo come from?" Chu Rong asked in a cold voice.
"My person?" Gu Zhong was shocked. He swallowed, but his neck stiffened. "I have professional ethics. Even if you kill me today, I won't betray my client."
A cold smile flickered across Chu Rong's lips.
Old Li signaled to the men beside him. Two people dressed as bodyguards stepped forward and began to beat Gu Zhong severely.
Gu Zhong, bruised and battered, was forced to compromise. "Besides the client, I can tell you everything else."
Chu Rong crossed his arms, waiting leisurely.
Gu Zhong took a few breaths and then produced a photograph. "The client gave me this photo and asked me to investigate her life. I only managed to find out everything from five years ago."
Chu Rong picked up the photo, and his previously casual gaze suddenly deepened.
It was her, and yet it wasn't her.
"Who gave you the photo?" he asked coldly.
Gu Zhong shook his head. "Besides the client's identity, I can tell you everything. The client gave me the photo ten days ago; it should be a recent shot."
"Besides everything about her from five years ago, what else do you know?" Chu Rong continued to ask.
Gu Zhong thought for a moment, then said with some uncertainty, "It seems she was kept by a rich man during her five years of disappearance. She was probably a mistress, otherwise, there's no way to find any information..."
Before he could finish, he was kicked in the face. Gu Zhong rolled twice on the ground in pain, then heard a fierce voice say, "Say that again."
Gu Zhong dared not repeat himself and immediately changed his tune. "That's what the client said. She also asked me to investigate all the mistresses of rich people in City A. I only found out that the person in the photo had contact with... with you. I didn't find anything else, so it's probably fake."
Chu Rong's ashen face finally eased slightly. He clenched the photo and stood up, leaving.
After finishing his duties, the butler went to Chu Rong's room and asked cautiously, "Young master, since the young madam has returned, she must be in City A. We will continue to search and will definitely find the young madam."
With the Chu family's power, finding someone was not difficult. The fact that they hadn't found her in five years meant only one possibility: the young madam was not in City A at all, and possibly not even in the country.
Chu Rong looked at the bright and beautiful face of the woman in the photo. Even though it was a casual snapshot, she was still stunningly beautiful. However, her eyes, though so familiar, were now filled with a sharp, unfamiliar gaze.
She was supposed to be gentle, tolerant, and considerate. Her smile could warm all the coldness in the world. But now, in the photo, there was no trace of warmth.
What had she experienced in these five years that made her... so estranged?
Chu Rong's heart clenched. He tightly gripped Quan Jiu's photo.
No matter what you've been through, no matter where you've fled, to the ends of the earth or the corners of the sea, I will find you, tie you down, and make it so you can never escape again.