Return of the Antagonistic Lady Boss

Chapter 1143: Chapter 1115: Darling, You’ve Been Played by Me

As soon as Qiao Zhen entered the room, he smelled a burnt odor hanging in the air. He noticed Qian’s eyes were red as if she had been crying, her hair was disheveled, with one lock showing signs of being singed. Following the smell to the kitchen, which was in disarray, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.

Could there be trouble between the couple?

He had never seen Qian so unconcerned about her appearance, and the house was a mess. Perhaps he should have Shi Touyu come up and talk to Qian? This was too unsettling.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine, I’m very clear-headed now." Qian noticed Qiao Zhen’s unspoken worries and went straight to the point.

"I need your help."

"Go ahead."

"You should go to the company later, and then do it like this..."

Qiao Zhen was dumbfounded as he listened; this was too much like a fantastical tale.

"It’s impossible to hide from him. To be blunt, he has likely held a real gun more times than he’s held the one his parents gave him. If there’s the slightest unusual, he will definitely notice. How could he possibly be fooled?"

"Have you heard of the money-seeking trick at train stations? Are you familiar with this ’using the peach as a substitute for the plum’ tactic?" Qian hinted to him.

"Anyone else doing this, he would definitely spot it. But teaming up with me for inside-outside coordination, with the level of trust he has in you, you are essentially his eyes, his hands. How could he not trust you?"

Qian was full of confidence.

"Don’t worry, just cooperate with me when you go back."

"Will it really work?" Qiao Zhen was skeptical.

He had only seen Yu Minglang scheming others, it was the first time hearing someone wanting to scheme Yu Minglang; Qiao Zhen felt the success rate was minimal.

"Qiao Zhen, your codename is Hawkeye; you have been his observer before. His hands are capable of shooting numerous bullets, but they all relied on your eyes. Now that he’s in trouble, let me ask you one thing: Are you willing? You are likely the person who knows him best apart from me. Will you really act like others and think that now his position doesn’t matter whether he can shoot or not, those years we shared are just to be thrown away?"

This speech, though Qian spoke it without much smile, was filled with sincerity, and it moved Qiao Zhen.

"I’ll get right on it—just make sure of one thing. If you succeed in doing this, it’s akin to making a mockery of the psychological intervention group; how will everyone treat you if you come over for outside support in the future? You already had some conflicts with group members before, right?"

Qiao Zhen, being fostered by a large family, understood the intricacies of these interpersonal interactions very well; this risky move by Qian was equivalent to putting herself in a dangerous position.

"I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens. Being overly cautious will never accomplish anything successfully. I believe in my expertise, and I trust my judgment about the psychological intervention group members. I refuse to believe I’ve misjudged or that they’ve become petty enough to be like outsiders, scheming like small-time players."

After sending off Qiao Zhen, Qian made arrangements in her home, turning off the standby black screen time on the computer to keep the screen lit, ensuring that if he returned, he would see her inbox first thing.

As soon as she finished arranging, her phone rang; Aka’s call came through.

Qian’s lips curled into a smile; the timing was just right.

"Hello, this is Chen Xiaoqian..."

At this moment, she shed the previous distressed, insane image caused by urgency, returning to her composed boss demeanor, her aura activated, strategizing in the face of disaster; tears and fragility will never solve the problem.

While Qian was strategizing, Yu Minglang, exactly as Qian predicted, went alone to the lakeside. He wasn’t drowning his sorrows in alcohol; he just sat quietly by the lake, silently smoking.

He seldom smoked, but today, there was a large circle of cigarette butts on the ground. His emotions twisted inside him, seeking an outlet but finding none; not deeply sad or painfully distraught, yet a vague sense of loss and despair that couldn’t be articulated or explained.

Right then, his phone rang, and upon seeing the number, Yu Minglang immediately became serious.

"This is Yu Minglang."

"One, there’s some unfortunate news to tell you; you need to stay calm. Your wife was kidnapped by a bad person at a bar 20 minutes ago." The heavy voice transmitted from the other side.

Yu Minglang had such a rapid reaction that his brain couldn’t process for a few seconds.

"Are you saying... who?"

"I am regretfully informing you, One, your wife was kidnapped at a city bar by people of unknown identity about 20 minutes ago, and her whereabouts are now unknown. We are elaborating on the rescue plan; as a family member, do you want to come and see for yourself?"

"I’ll head over immediately!"

Yu Minglang hung up the phone, his mind a blank.

How could his wife be kidnapped?

A cigarette burned his hand, the pain confirming that this wasn’t a dream.

He immediately gathered himself, suppressing the fear deep in his heart, quickly driving to the bureau; Qiao Zhen had been waiting for a long time.

"Sorry for intruding into your home; this is something I captured on site. Take a look."

Qiao Zhen presented a slide show on the big screen of the situation at Yu Minglang’s home.

His familiar home, his familiar setup, every arrangement here was Yu Minglang’s sanctuary, his best warm harbor. But now his harbor was displayed on the big screen—what a heartbreak!

When Yu Minglang saw the desktop of Qian’s computer, he squinted his eyes and quickly told Qiao Zhen to zoom in.