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The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"But this was my first time discussing a partnership with their company, so there's no way they could know that much about me. Even though I'm suspicious, I don't have any convincing evidence." Gu Pengzhan shook his head again, as if denying his own speculation.
"Uncle Chu, when I went to the restroom earlier, I heard a man in there talking on the phone." Wei Zhao recounted the phone conversation he had overheard in the restroom.
As Gu Pengzhan listened, his brow knitted tight. He had suspected something was wrong with the company he had gone to negotiate with. They had been close to an agreement, only the signing left, but once he arrived, they had put off the signing with all sorts of excuses, and had seemed to be waiting for something the whole time, constantly checking the clock. In the end, when whatever it was did not come, they found an excuse, saying the partnership was not yet ripe and would need to be discussed at a meeting first.
Gu Pengzhan had been furious at the company's about-face, but since nothing had been signed, they were within their rights to back out. He had done no more than say a few words about cooperating another time, and then left in a hurry.
Their behavior, however, had sown suspicion in his mind. At first he had thought nothing of it, but after Gu Mengyao was taken hostage by the bank robbers, Gu Pengzhan began to wonder whether there was some connection between the two.
On the surface, of course, there was no necessary link between the two events. Strange as the other side's attitude had been, Gu Pengzhan could not find the connection, and so had done no more than suspect.
But now, hearing Wei Zhao's words, Gu Pengzhan understood everything at once. From the very beginning, the other side had never intended to negotiate in good faith. They had meant to kidnap his daughter and use her to coerce him into achieving their ends.
Indeed, if his daughter had not been rescued by Wei Zhao and had instead fallen into their hands, then all their company would have had to do was let a hint of it slip during the negotiations, and for his daughter's safety he would have had no choice but to give in and grant them certain favors.
And afterward, the other side could deny the whole thing outright. The affair had begun with a bank robbery, after all, and his daughter had merely been taken hostage. With that as cover, their crime of kidnapping could be neatly concealed.
No wonder they had kept checking the clock as if waiting for something. That was what they had been waiting for. And judging by Wei Zhao's account, this man on the phone in the restroom, since he could be on the top floor of the Group, must be a high-ranking figure within it as well.
With someone on the inside working in concert, the other side's plan had been flawless. The one thing they had failed to account for was the uncertain factor that was Wei Zhao. It seemed that bringing him here to be at his daughter's side had been a wise move after all.
At first, Gu Pengzhan had placed Wei Zhao beside Gu Mengyao purely on the old man's advice, without any other thought in mind. But who would have guessed that, through an unexpected turn of events, Wei Zhao would come to play such a crucial role.
"I will look into this matter." A flicker of cold severity passed through Gu Pengzhan's eyes. There were conflicts between himself and certain executives within the company, true, but that anyone would dare to use his daughter as a pawn — that was something Gu Pengzhan would never permit.
Wei Zhao nodded. He had no wish to be drawn into such matters. As chairman of the Group, Gu Pengzhan naturally had his own methods; Wei Zhao had merely reported what he had heard, and how it was handled was Gu Pengzhan's affair.