Chapter 288 — The Discarded Pawn

Wang Renping nodded. Given Tian Long's habits, he had surely found somewhere nearby to rest; he would not go traipsing about in the middle of the night. After all, Tian Long was a man past fifty and could not withstand such exertion—he could hardly be measured by the standards of the young.

The next day dawned bright and sunny. Yang Ce glanced toward the villa. The same bodyguards were there, but there was no sign of Tian Long—clearly he had not returned all night.

Wang Renping, himself a bodyguard by training, slept lightly and little. Not long after Yang Ce woke, he woke too. He looked at the courtyard over by the villa: Tian Long's car was not there. He shook his head and said, "Tian Long's car is gone. Looks like he didn't come back all night."

"Where does Tian Long usually go during the day?" Yang Ce asked.

"Tian Long may have taken over the Sun family's companies, but with things not yet settled and some property rights not transferred, he doesn't go to the company during the day. Instead he goes to a hall he used to run—Ma Qiang's turf..." Wang Renping said.

"Ma Qiang... if Ma Qiang has gone missing, might Tian Long get suspicious?" Yang Ce frowned at Wang Renping's words.

"That's no problem." Wang Renping shook his head with a smile. "Ma Qiang has been with Tian Long for years and is no longer young. Normally, unless something really important comes up, he doesn't go to the hall. The hall is run by his second-in-command, Shen Miaotu. He came by yesterday and took the gu poison, so he counts as one of us. He and I get along well, and he should know where his loyalties lie."