Chapter 78 - 77: The Tycoon’s Little Wildcat 18

Chapter 78: Chapter 77: The Tycoon’s Little Wildcat 18

No one could explain why the fire hydrant was dry. When the firefighters arrived, all they had was the limited water supply from their truck.

Lu Youheng grabbed a firefighter’s arm, his voice breaking. "Why is there no water in the hydrant? Did you know about this all along?"

The firefighter sighed and explained, "Sir, the hydrants are fed by the reservoir, but it’s been shut down since last year. The mayor also slashed the fire department’s budget. Equipment updates are delayed and maintenance is inadequate, so it’s pretty common for hydrants to be dry."

"That’s right, sir," another firefighter added callously. "Look, the fire from the crashed helicopter hasn’t spread. Just let it burn out. With a blaze that big, even if your son was still inside, there’s no way he could have survived."

The moment Lu Youheng heard this, his face darkened, and a cold glint flashed in his deep-set eyes, making him look like an enraged panther.

"You have to save him! That’s my son! The son my wife went through so much to give me! The Lu Family pays an astronomical amount in taxes every year. This is your duty!"

Resigned, the firefighter aimed the hose with the reserve water at the burning helicopter, but the spray couldn’t even penetrate the flames.

Lu Youheng watched, helpless, as the feeble stream of water was sprayed uselessly at the raging inferno of the helicopter, failing to extinguish even a single flame. His heart instantly plunged into an icy abyss.

His hands dropped limply to his sides, and his body swayed as if every ounce of strength had been drained from him.

His back, once as straight as a pine, was now hunched over, as if crushed by the weight of utter despair.

"No... It can’t be..."

He murmured, his chapped lips trembling. Each word was like a mournful cry torn from the depths of his soul.

His eyes grew red, and tears welled up, but he fought them back with all his might.

The surrounding chaos, the roar of the flames—it all seemed to fade away. In his world, there was only the burning helicopter and his son, whose fate was unknown, trapped inside.

He staggered forward a few steps, only to be driven back by the searing heat. His legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.

"Mr. Lu..."

Assistant Wu steadied Lu Youheng, wanting to say something, but any words he could offer felt hollow and meaningless.

Just as he was sinking into an abyss of despair, a cry suddenly rang out from the crowd. "Honey!"

Lu Youheng’s unfocused eyes snapped up. He looked toward the voice and saw Ji Xiaosong hurrying over with their two children.

Though their faces were smudged with soot, Second Lu and Third Lu were safe and sound.

Ji Xiaosong had been comforting her sons when she suddenly realized that Lu Youheng didn’t know the three of them were safe.

Fearing he might do something reckless, she had rushed downstairs to find him.

The moment Lu Youheng saw his two sons, he thought he was hallucinating. He blinked hard, and once he confirmed that what he was seeing was real, tears he could no longer hold back streamed down his face.

He lunged forward and pulled his two sons into a fierce embrace, holding them so tightly it was as if he wanted to merge them into his own body, terrified that if he let go, they would vanish again.

Second Lu’s small body trembled in his arms. "Daddy, I was so scared..." he cried out.

A lump formed in Lu Youheng’s throat. All he could do was murmur, over and over, "It’s okay now... It’s okay now..."

"Mr. Lu, since your sons are all right, we’ll hold off on the rescue efforts for now. After all, without water, there’s nothing we can do."

A firefighter stepped forward to discuss extinguishing the helicopter fire, but Lu Youheng just shot them a cold glare and said nothing more.

"Song, let’s head back. Eldest Lu is still upstairs. I’m worried he’ll be scared all by himself."

Lu Youheng picked up Second Lu, and Ji Xiaosong held Third Lu. They walked toward another helicopter parked nearby.

Assistant Wu stayed behind to handle the aftermath. The incident with the kidnappers today would not be resolved so easily.

"Song, how did they get out?"

Lu Youheng asked after setting Second Lu down in a seat.

Knowing she couldn’t avoid the question, Ji Xiaosong had already prepared an excuse.

"Our sons were clever. They waited until the kidnappers were fighting amongst themselves, then they opened the helicopter door and rappelled down a rope. I happened to reach the rooftop just then and was able to get them to safety. By the way, Liu Wanqing was working with those kidnappers. She’s the one who leaked Second Lu and Third Lu’s location."

Ji Xiaosong knew her story wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny, so she quickly changed the subject.

’As for whether he’ll investigate later, or how... I’ll just have to take it one step at a time.’

"Liu Wanqing? The one who spilled coffee earlier? Assistant Wu mentioned her, but I didn’t pay it any mind. But now that you mention it, a woman did escape just now. She ran off too fast for me to get a good look."

Lu Youheng started the helicopter, his emotions having settled considerably.

’As long as my wife and children are safe, nothing else matters.’

"We’ll leave this to the police. I’m sure they’ll give us an explanation."

’I can’t figure out the motive, either. I’ll have to find Liu Wanqing to understand what’s going on.’

"The police aren’t very efficient. It would be faster to have my own people investigate. Today’s incident was a wake-up call. We need to return to the country as soon as possible and sell off our real estate in B Province. The reservoir is out of commission, the infrastructure is falling apart, and the city’s fire safety systems aren’t being maintained. It’s a disaster waiting to happen for every city in this province," Lu Youheng said, voicing his concerns.

"Why?"

"Because the summers here are dry, and we get hurricanes at random times throughout the year. If a fire breaks out and gets fanned by a hurricane, the entire city could go up in flames. Besides, it’s actually safer back home than in J Country now. At the very least, you don’t see people getting kidnapped in broad daylight by helicopter or dealing with gun violence nearly as often. As for the children’s education, whatever teachers they need, I can hire them to come to us. You don’t need to worry about that."

"I’ll leave it up to you. I’m carrying four babies right now, so let’s have them back home."

Ji Xiaosong wasn’t particular about where she lived. ’But if we go back,’ she thought, ’I might run into the original owner of this body’s family. I wonder how they’re doing.’

’And then there’s Wang Zheng, one of the culprits responsible for the original owner’s death. He needs to be taught a lesson, too.’

Lu Youheng quickly flew Ji Xiaosong back to the company’s rooftop helipad. After picking up Eldest Lu, he took her and their three sons home.

"I’ve already had my personal assistant arrange for a private jet back home tonight. You all go on ahead. I’ll come back as soon as I’ve dealt with the real estate here."

"No, Daddy! Come back with us. We’re a family. I’ll be scared if you’re not with us."

Second Lu tugged on Lu Youheng’s hand, his big eyes looking up at him pleadingly.

’Liu Wanqing’s system hasn’t been taken away yet,’ Second Lu thought. ’What if she uses it to seduce Daddy?’

’Just in case, it’s better to keep an eye on Daddy at all times.’