Villain Is Bodyguard of Heroine’s Poisonous Stepmother

Chapter 119: Accepting the Enemy as Father

Li Zhong’s face turned pale and flushed alternately as he contemplated the threat.

“Have you fully investigated that bank account number?”

He had also received a bank account number from them, which should definitely be traceable. If they could trace it, perhaps they could follow the clues back to the perpetrator.

Hearing Li Zhong’s question, his subordinates exchanged looks and then lowered their heads. Without needing to ask, Li Zhong knew these incompetents had again failed to find anything. Was this the best that his high-priced hires could do?

“Who is responsible for this?”

Knowing his identity and still daring to undertake such an act, demanding a ransom right from the start, Li Zhong suspected it was the doing of the Luo family.

“The Luo family is truly determined to break the rules, huh? They’re suspected of hiring a hitman to kill the Wang family’s elder and now kidnapping my wife and son,” Li Zhong’s eyes flashed with cold light.

He couldn’t find evidence of rule-breaking by the other party, and mere suspicion wasn’t enough to turn them into a target for collective action. Ten billion was no small sum, of course. The Li family could afford it, but Li Zhong was reluctant to pay.

As time slowly ticked away, an hour was nearly up. Given just an hour, Li Zhong had to make a decision.

“They haven’t contacted me yet,” anxiety flashed through Li Zhong’s eyes. What was the kidnapper’s final threat? To utterly ruin his reputation?

If the other party had threatened him with killing Gu Wanyu, Li Zhong wouldn’t have been so desperate.

“Transfer the money to them,” Li Zhong finally decided, slamming his hand on the table.

Face was the most important thing, and besides, his son was still in the kidnapper’s hands. Although Li Zhong’s favorite was his daughter, Li Ting, his son was indeed the heir to the Li family. No matter how much he adored Li Ting, Li Zhong couldn’t let her inherit the family business.

His son couldn’t be harmed, and he couldn’t afford to lose face, leaving him with no choice but to compromise.

“The ten billion really arrived,” Chen Luo whistled.

With this ten billion, plus his recent earnings, Chen Luo now had approximately fifty billion in hand, halfway to his goal of one hundred billion.

“Next, you should head back. Don’t worry, I’ll arrange for Qiu Zhu to secretly protect you,” Chen Luo told Gu Wanyu.

“Okay, I’ll definitely help you seize the Li family’s assets.”

Gu Wanyu was tasked by Chen Luo with a mission to attempt to take as much of the Li family’s wealth as possible. Relying solely on Gu Wanyu would be difficult, almost impossible, to accomplish this task, but Chen Luo would help her.

Although Gu Wanyu wished for more intimate moments with Chen Luo, now was not the time, and there was no rush. The future held plenty of opportunities.

Chen Luo arranged for Qiu Zhu to escort Gu Wanyu back, and from then on, to temporarily protect her from the shadows. Chen Luo even boosted Gu Wanyu’s abilities. Having earned ten billion for himself, he was not stingy about spending some to enhance Gu Wanyu’s capabilities. After all, Gu Wanyu was Chen Luo’s woman, she needed some means of self-protection.

After Gu Wanyu departed, Chen Luo approached Li Qiwen, looking down at him lying on the ground.

“Please, no more, Dad, stop hitting me,” Li Qiwen pleaded.

He had been severely beaten by Dong Ju, leaving him bruised and swollen. Of course, the injuries were superficial, as Dong Ju hardly exerted any force. If Dong Ju had been serious, with her strength, Li Qiwen would have been dead by now.

“Dad, please let me go. You and my mom are truly meant to be. That old geezer Li Zhong doesn’t deserve my mom. You’re my real dad.”

Fear was evident in Li Qiwen’s eyes. He had never suffered such a beating in his life. Initially not the bravest, he was now utterly subdued. This act of acknowledging a thief as his father was indeed powerful, and even Chen Luo was taken aback.

“If Li Zhong hears this, do you think he would kill his unfilial son?”

“Dad, I’m speaking the truth. I’d dare to say this even if Li Zhong, that old jerk, was here.”

Li Qiwen, in a bid to avoid punishment, was ready to forsake his own father.

“Dad, can you spare my life? You want the Li family’s wealth, don’t you? I’m the heir to the Li family. Once I inherit it, I’ll hand it all over to you.”

His terror stemmed from the fear that Chen Luo might kill him. Now that Chen Luo had secured the money, what worth did he have? Keeping him alive seemed more like a liability, and he suspected Chen Luo might be inclined to finish him off.

“Can I trust what you say?” Chen Luo asked, gazing indifferently at Li Qiwen.

“Yes, you can trust me. I could even help you eliminate Li Zhong, and then you would truly be my father.”

As Chen Luo slightly lifted his gun, Li Qiwen made an effort to kneel before him, fervently bowing his head. Gone was his previous arrogance. He was solely focused on surviving.

Chen Luo was considering Li Qiwen’s utility. Actually, Chen Luo had no immediate intention of killing him. If he had, he wouldn’t have stopped Gu Wanyu earlier. Initially, Chen Luo thought to use Li Qiwen as leverage against Li Zhong, but Li Qiwen’s evident fear of death prompted him to rethink.

“You’re not completely useless. You can stay alive for now. Your longevity will depend on your usefulness,” Chen Luo said, tossing a phone to Li Qiwen.

“First, find a way to extract ten billion from Li Zhong. If you manage that, I might spare you for the moment.”

After giving the phone to Li Qiwen, Chen Luo wasn’t concerned about any potential mischief Li Qiwen might attempt, as Dong Ju would keep a close watch on him. Moreover, Li Qiwen wouldn’t dare challenge Chen Luo, whose insight into his cowardice was crystal clear.

“Alright, Dad, you can count on me. I’ll make sure to extract ten billion from that old geezer Li Zhong as a token of my respect for you.”

Relief washed over Li Qiwen as he watched Chen Luo lower his gun. His fear of death was profound, matched only by his aversion to pain. This was precisely why he had quickly fallen in line after being beaten.

“You truly are talented,” Chen Luo commented.

Li Qiwen’s easy adoption of the term ‘dad’ could indeed be considered a form of innate talent.

Individuals like Li Qiwen were easily manipulated. Having control over his life and death effectively meant having him under control. With Li Qiwen in his grip, Chen Luo’s scheme to siphon off the Li family’s wealth seemed much more feasible. Picking up the phone, Li Qiwen made a call to Li Zhong.

“Dad, it’s Li Qiwen. You need to send another ten billion quickly to save me. If you don’t, they’re going to shoot me, Ah~!!!” A scream tore through the air, starkly authentic, as Li Qiwen had deliberately agitated his wound for effect.

“What’s going on? Didn’t I already transfer ten billion for your release?”

“Dad, they only let mom go, and I was left behind. You have to save me, they’re threatening to kill me,” Li Qiwen yelled, panic-stricken.

He didn’t dare divulge more, not being the type to play the hero or the strategist. His sole aim was to secure the funds necessary for his survival. Li Zhong’s expression darkened at this maneuver.

At that moment, Chen Luo extended his hand, prompting Li Qiwen to promptly hand over his phone to Chen Luo.

“Chairman Li, would you like to see a video of your son being mercilessly beaten? It’s quite a pitiable sight, even I feel sympathy watching it. Are you sure you don’t want to part with a little money to save him?” Chen Luo suggested, as Li Qiwen, playing his part, emitted several well-timed screams of agony.

This approach was remarkably effective, showcasing Li Qiwen’s willingness to play along perfectly.