Chapter 2267 — Gu Mengyao Arrives
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Offend someone..." Xiao Qinlin thought it over, then turned to look at her husband, Wang Xuben.
It had always been Wang Xuben who managed the family business; Xiao Qinlin mostly handled the logistics at home, so the likelihood of her having offended anyone was fairly small. The real question was whether Wang Xuben had crossed the wrong person.
"In business I've always played fair and square. I've never done anything like bullying the market or squeezing out competitors. My dealings with business partners have gone well too—they're all relationships of many years. I shouldn't have any enemies." Wang Xuben thought carefully, then shook his head.
"And what about the Xiao family?" Qiu Lingshan had picked up not one useful lead, and there was nothing for it but to lay her cards on the table.
"The Xiao family? Officer Song, you know about the Xiao family?" Xiao Qinlin was taken aback. She had never dealt with Qiu Lingshan, so naturally she did not know her other identity.
"I'm from the Song family—one of the former Hidden Families as well." Qiu Lingshan made no attempt to conceal it. "If this is not trouble you two brought on yourselves, then could it be trouble from the Xiao family's side?"
"I see... The Xiao children are very high-handed in the way they do things. Our family has had little dealings with them, really. Only this year, when my elder brother and the others wanted to marry my daughter to Kang Jinglong of the Kang family, did we have some contact..." Xiao Qinlin said after a moment's thought. "If we're talking enemies, the Xiao family does seem to have offended someone called Wei Zhao..."
"Wei Zhao?" Qiu Lingshan shook her head with a bitter smile. "He can't be the one who abducted your daughter."
"What? Why?" Xiao Qinlin was startled. She had not expected Qiu Lingshan to shoot down the answer just like that, and it left her faintly displeased. She had finally managed to think of an enemy, and now she was told it was not him—so what was she supposed to think of next?
"Even if Wei Zhao has a grudge against the Xiao family, he would go after the Xiao family. He wouldn't detour to abduct your daughter." Qiu Lingshan explained. "To Wei Zhao, the Xiao family is nothing at all..."
Qiu Lingshan wanted to go on explaining, but just then Wang Xuben's phone rang. She broke off and looked at Wang Xuben. This could be a call from the kidnappers. Signaling her subordinate Liu Wangli, who had been transferred to Donghai City along with her, to begin technical surveillance, she said to Wang Xuben, "Answer it first. If it's the kidnappers, stall them for as long as you can..."
Wang Xuben nodded and picked up his phone. The number was unfamiliar, but he did not think much of it—kidnappers changing phone numbers was perfectly normal. He answered directly: "Hello, this is Wang Xuben!"
"Is this Uncle Wang? Hello, I'm Wang Xinyan's university classmate. There's something bad I need to tell you..." Gu Mengyao's voice came through from the other end. She wasted no words and said straight out: "Wang Xinyan was abducted at the school gate!"
"What! You're Yan-yan's university classmate? Yan-yan was abducted at the school gate?" Wang Xuben was shocked. He had not expected the caller to be Wang Xinyan's classmate. He had only received one brief call from the kidnappers before, and they had not said where Wang Xinyan had been taken, nor had he asked. Now, hearing that Wang Xinyan's classmate might be an eyewitness, he said at once: "I already know about this. Could I trouble you to come to the police station? I'm at the station right now. Could you tell the officers here the details of how Yan-yan was abducted?"
"Oh... all right." Hearing that Wang Xuben already knew about the abduction, Gu Mengyao frowned slightly. It seemed the kidnappers must have contacted Wang Xuben already. That being the case, they were not after Wei Zhao.