Chapter 63 — The Mastermind's Purpose? (Fourth Update: Please Vote and Support)

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"All right, let's talk in the study." Gu Pengzhan gestured and led Wei Zhao up to the second floor.

The study was at the far end of the second floor — perhaps to keep it free of interruptions. And yet, in this vast villa there was not even a housekeeper to be found. What difference did it make which room they used?

Perhaps the villa had once been lively, once splendid, but now it had fallen into a desolation this deep. Wei Zhao had noticed it on the way up: the house was spotlessly clean, yet the banister showed signs of wear. That meant people had lived here for a long stretch of time — it could not always have been like this, with Gu Pengzhan barely managing to come back once a week.

Of course, Wei Zhao would never ask about such things. This was Gu Pengzhan's family business, and it had nothing directly to do with him.

So Wei Zhao kept to an air of calm detachment, unruffled by whatever came.

Inside the study, the wear on the leather chair told the same story. Gu Pengzhan must once have sat here working all the time.

"Xiao Yi, sit wherever you like." Gu Pengzhan settled into the leather chair behind the desk and gestured to Wei Zhao. "There's a refrigerator behind you with drinks in it. Take whatever you want. Don't worry, nothing's expired — Li Fu replaces it on a regular schedule."

"I'm not thirsty." Wei Zhao shook his head. "Uncle Chu, why don't we get down to business first?"

"That works too. Let's begin." Gu Pengzhan nodded, signaling that Wei Zhao could start.

"It's like this. I imagine you already know that those robbers yesterday weren't after the bank in the end — their target was Miss Gu..." Wei Zhao said. "Though I don't understand why they went to such lengths to kidnap her. Snatching her right at the school gate, or at the villa gate, would have been much easier..."

"Heh. You're trying to remind me to look into their real purpose, aren't you?" Gu Pengzhan smiled. "You're right, of course. Kidnapping Miss Gu from the bank looks like a great deal of trouble, but they had their reasons."

"What reasons?" Wei Zhao had not expected Gu Pengzhan to have already thought this far. It seemed he had been overthinking.

"To mislead." Gu Pengzhan's smile faded; he spoke gravely. "That way, outsiders will believe they weren't kidnapping Yao Yao at all, but simply seized her as a hostage while fleeing the bank robbery.

Those are two entirely different crimes, and it can mislead the police about which direction to investigate. If the police treat this as a robbery rather than a kidnapping, it buys the robbers plenty of time to make their next move.

But what I can't figure out is how they knew Yao Yao would be at the bank at that hour."

"I did analyze that, actually. Yesterday the school had everyone open a bank card so tuition could be deposited easily, and by the time school lets out the banks are certainly closed. There's only one twenty-four-hour bank near here, so if Miss Gu wanted to open a card, she had to go to that one." Wei Zhao laid out his reasoning. What Gu Pengzhan had said earlier he had not considered — the key was that he did not know these people's true aim, what they actually wanted. Now that Gu Pengzhan had spoken, some of it was coming into focus. "These people are after you?"

"Probably." Gu Pengzhan nodded. "When I went to negotiate the contract this time, the other side put forward a lot of harsh terms. I didn't agree, and they made no concessions either — they just kept stalling, as if waiting for something... Now that I think about it, what happened to Yao Yao came right around then. The two things may well be connected..."

"Oh?" Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow. So that was it. No wonder Gu Pengzhan had said earlier that the bank robbery was meant to mislead the police. After all, if the investigation went in the wrong direction, solving the case would be delayed — and that would give the criminals time.

If it really was as Gu Pengzhan said, then the other side need only hint that Gu Mengyao was in their hands, and wouldn't Gu Pengzhan obediently sign that unequal treaty?

"The more I think about it, the more likely it seems — only there's no evidence..." Gu Pengzhan sighed. "But for people at this level, even with evidence, what could you do?"

"Who are they?" Hearing this, Wei Zhao understood at once: the other party's strength must be a match for Gu Pengzhan's, or they would never dare do such a thing.

No wonder the bald man had said that apart from capturing Gu Mengyao, Ma Liu was not to touch her. They had only meant to frighten Gu Pengzhan. If they really harmed Gu Mengyao, they would provoke Gu Pengzhan's insane retaliation — the kind that stops at nothing and throws in everything he has... The result would inevitably be mutual destruction, and clearly the other side did not want that either.

At that thought, Wei Zhao actually felt relieved. The other side did not mean to do anything to Gu Mengyao; one could say her safety was not much in question.

"You don't need to worry about these things. I'll handle it. Hmph — I, Gu Pengzhan, am no soft persimmon to be squeezed. Trying to force me to submit this way..." Gu Pengzhan stopped there and waved a hand. "Never mind, let's not talk about it. Just keep Yao Yao company, that's all. And remember, give her more affection... When the child was small, her mother left... and I was busy with business all day long... She lacked love..."

Her mother left when she was small? Wei Zhao sighed inwardly... The young miss really was pitiable — losing her mother in childhood, with a father busy all day long. How was that any different from having no parents at all? Wei Zhao was an orphan himself, so he could naturally feel the bitterness in it. He nodded. "Don't worry, Uncle Chu. I understand how Miss Gu feels..."

Forgive me... cursed wordplay... When Wei Zhao heard Gu Pengzhan say that Gu Mengyao's mother had "left," he assumed her mother had passed away. In such a context, that word could indeed carry that meaning... But in fact, what Gu Pengzhan meant was that the young miss's mother had truly "left" — not died... Which was how Wei Zhao later stumbled into an absolutely colossal misunderstanding...

"Yes. It's precisely because of that that I asked you to keep her company. You two..." He paused. "Never mind, let's leave that for now. Bringing it up now would be too abrupt. There will be plenty of time later; it won't be too late to talk then." Gu Pengzhan hesitated, then decided to put off telling Wei Zhao about the decision his father and Old Master Lin had made, afraid that Wei Zhao might not be able to take it in all at once.

Wei Zhao was somewhat puzzled about what Gu Pengzhan wanted to say, but since he had said they would discuss it later, Wei Zhao had no way to press him. He could only wait for Gu Pengzhan to bring it up himself.

"Since these people don't want Miss Gu dead, I can relax." Wei Zhao thought to himself: the last thing he needed was for the young miss to die right next to him — that would be a real mess. Not only would he not get paid, he might even be held responsible. And more importantly, no one had ever died at his side before.

Enemies excepted, of course. But his comrades in arms — Wei Zhao would absolutely never let them die.

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