“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.”

The steady ringing tone made Zhang Guodong’s face tense up. He hoped someone would answer. If not, it could very well mean his family was already in danger!

Seeing his expression, everyone else grew anxious, their eyes fixed on him.

After a good thirty seconds, a gentle female voice finally came from the other end. “Hello, Guodong.”

The woman’s voice was warm and smiling.

Hearing his wife’s voice, Zhang Guodong let out a sigh of relief.

“Is Zirou at home?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“Zirou isn’t home. She went to a get-together with her colleagues and probably won’t be back until tonight. Is something wrong?” Tang Lingwen asked with a laugh.

“Listen, leave the house immediately and hide. You must hide. I’ll send someone to pick you up. I’m calling Zirou right now,” Zhang Guodong said urgently.

“What? Guodong, what’s happened?” Tang Lingwen couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t worry about that right now. Just leave the house immediately and hide. Wait for my men to pick you up, understand?” Zhang Guodong emphasized again.

Hearing this, Tang Lingwen knew something serious had happened, so she didn’t ask any more questions. “Alright, I’m leaving now. Go ahead and call Zirou.”

With that, Tang Lingwen hung up.

Zhang Guodong let out another sigh of relief and immediately dialed his daughter, Zhang Zirou’s, number.

“Hello, Dad, what’s up?” Zhang Zirou answered almost immediately, her voice cheerful and happy.

Hearing his daughter was safe, a wave of relief washed over Zhang Guodong. “Zirou, I don’t care where you are. Find a safe place to hide right now. Then, call me, and I’ll send someone to get you!”

“Huh? Hide? Dad, what’s going on?” Zhang Zirou asked, surprised.

“Don’t ask so many questions, just go!” Zhang Guodong said gravely, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.

“Alright then,” Zhang Zirou replied, sounding a bit helpless.

Relieved by her answer, Zhang Guodong was just about to hang up when a commotion erupted from the other end of the line. It was followed by Zhang Zirou’s desperate cries for help. “What are you doing?! Don’t touch me! Get away! Dad, help me!”

The relief that had just settled over Zhang Guodong vanished instantly. He shot to his feet at the sound of his daughter’s cries.

“Zirou! Zirou, talk to me! Answer me!” Zhang Guodong shouted, his rugged face etched with pure panic.

But beyond the sounds of a struggle, the line went silent.

Zhang Guodong roared with anger and fear. His shouting seemed to be heard, because a man’s voice suddenly came through the phone.

“Mr. Zhang, don’t be so anxious,” the man said with a laugh. “Wait for my call tonight. I’ll let you see your daughter.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guodong’s expression changed drastically. “Who are you? Who the hell are you?!” he demanded.

“Who am I?” the man chuckled, his tone completely unconcerned. “Have you forgotten? You just had your men investigating me.”

Zhang Guodong’s expression shifted again. “You’re Okamoto Daiki!”

“Haha, correct. It is I. Mr. Zhang, remember to wait for my call.”

With that, Okamoto Daiki hung up.

Listening to the dial tone, Zhang Guodong’s expression turned murderous, his eyes blazing with killing intent.

Just then, his wife, Tang Lingwen, called him.

Seeing his wife’s name on the caller ID, Zhang Guodong’s body jolted. Please, let her be safe. Please don’t let her have been captured…

With that thought, he hurriedly answered the phone. “Hello, Lingwen, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m driving to the military base right now. Not long after I left, I saw two cars pull up to our house. Guodong, what on earth happened?” Tang Lingwen’s tone was laced with anxiety.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Don’t worry. I’ll have someone meet you. Just be careful.”

After saying this, Zhang Guodong quickly hung up and arranged for Kang Cheng to go pick up his wife.

Looking at Yang Wucheng and Lin Kuang, Zhang Guodong said in a grave tone, “For now, only my daughter, Zhang Zirou, has been taken by Okamoto Daiki. My wife is safe. I’m sure Okamoto Daiki will use my daughter to threaten me before trying to kill me!”

He wasn’t afraid of death, but his daughter had been captured. She was just a girl. In the hands of those people, God knows what could happen! If those bastards were to violate her, how could his daughter possibly go on living?

At this thought, Zhang Guodong felt a heavy stone settle in his chest, an unspeakably painful sensation.

Hearing his words, Lin Kuang and Yang Wucheng’s expressions also turned grim. But what could they do at this point? There was nothing they could do.

Nanjing was vast, making it incredibly difficult to find just a few people. What’s more, someone like Okamoto Daiki would undoubtedly keep his whereabouts a closely guarded secret. Finding him would be almost impossible.

Thus, Yang Wucheng and Lin Kuang fell silent.

Zhang Guodong said no more. He simply sat in his seat with a dark expression, his heart consumed by anxiety.

「Half an hour later」

Tang Lingwen entered the conference room, escorted by Kang Cheng.

Her complexion was not good. Her face, still beautiful despite her age, was pale, and her eyes were filled with worry.

“Guodong, where is Zirou? How is Zirou?” she asked hastily upon seeing him.

In truth, Tang Lingwen already had a terrible premonition and was merely seeking confirmation.

Hearing her words, Zhang Guodong looked at her with an expression full of guilt.

“Lingwen, I’m sorry. Zirou… she’s been taken,” he said, his face contorted with guilt.

Although she had already braced herself for the worst, hearing Zhang Guodong say it out loud made the world spin. Her legs gave out, and she began to crumple to the floor.

Seeing this, Zhang Guodong lunged forward and caught her in his arms.

“Lingwen, Lingwen, don’t panic. It’s okay, it’s okay. Zirou will be fine. She’ll be alright,” he comforted her hastily, his gaze full of guilt.

Tang Lingwen collapsed against his chest, tears streaming from her eyes. That was her only daughter, her precious child! The thought of her being captured was terrifying.

“Guodong, you have to save Zirou! You have to!” Tang Lingwen sobbed, her voice racked with terror.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep