“Tang Jin’er? Why are you here?”
Gu Tian didn’t answer, only furrowing his brows as he looked at the woman before him.
“Heh, why do you think I’m here?”
Tang Jin’er laughed bitterly, folding her snow-white arms tightly.
“I want to ask you—was it really your people behind what happened to the Ruan family?”
What? Could it be that Tang Jin’er heard the rumors spread by his subordinates and came looking for trouble on purpose?
“So what if it was us? What, do you have any proof?”
What a joke! Who was Gu Tian afraid of?
Even if the rumor about the marriage contract between the two families was spread by his side, as long as he firmly denied it, Tang Jin’er couldn’t possibly tear apart the Gu family.
Actually, Gu Tian was mistaken.
After all, Tang Jin’er had been busy investigating the disappearance of Madam Ruan and her daughter these past few days, so the rumors about the Ruan and Gu families’ marriage contract never reached her ears.
“Fine! I knew it was you all!”
Hearing this, Tang Jin’er’s anger flared up like firecrackers exploding in the heat of midsummer. Kidnapping Madam Ruan and her daughter was bad enough, but to be so arrogant about it?
How had she never known Gu Tian, this useless second-generation heir, was so wild before?
However, when Secretary Wang, standing behind Tang Jin’er, heard those words, her thoughts took a different turn:
Why would Gu Tian admit to kidnapping the Ruan family? What was really going on?
Secretary Wang recalled what her young lady had told her about the odd circumstances surrounding Madam Ruan’s disappearance.
Could it be that Madam Ruan’s vanishing was truly the Gu family’s doing?
Behind her golden-rimmed glasses, Secretary Wang’s slender eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why don’t you hurry up and hand over Madam Ruan and Zhi Xian to me?”
While Secretary Wang was lost in thought, Tang Jin’er’s furious questioning continued.
“Hand over? I don’t understand… Damn it! Tang Jin’er, are you crazy?!”
Gu Tian was barely halfway through his sentence when a wine bottle suddenly flew toward his forehead.
He dodged in panic, looking at the red-dressed girl before him with suspicion and confusion.
“Crazy? Gu Tian, I’m telling you, if you keep playing dumb here, I’ll show you how to deal with me! Now hurry up and release them!”
“Release them? I already said I… Damn it, you crazy woman!”
Another wine bottle smashed right where Gu Tian’s head had just been. Clearly, Tang Jin’er had completely lost patience with his explanations.
“Tang Jin’er! I can tell you came here just to pick a fight today!”
Gu Tian shielded his head and shouted angrily.
“I’m here to find you!”
“Bang!”
In response came the girl’s coquettish exclamation, followed by another flying wine bottle.
“Damn! This is my Gu family’s territory, and you crazy woman still dare to act so arrogantly! I haven’t even gotten mad about you barging in and ruining our fun just now!”
“You bastard, you still dare talk back! If I hadn’t come in, who knows what you guys wanted to do to that girl!”
More wine bottles flew toward Gu Tian.
“Damn it! Brothers, grab whatever you can!”
Gu Tian was cornered and panicked, dodging the flying bottles as he shouted.
Hearing his call, the younger men who had been watching the argument quickly closed in.
“Beat her up good! Tang Jin’er, you come here without bodyguards and still dare to cause trouble! Today, you’re going to answer for everything right here!”
“Ha ha ha, Miss Tang, sorry about this. It’s Gu Ge’s orders. But don’t worry, my brothers won’t hit too hard.”
Blue-haired one grinned in the crowd that had gathered.
“Enough nonsense! With just you lot, I don’t need bodyguards to take you down!”
Tang Jin’er flexed her fair, delicate shoulders and cracked her knuckles, then ordered Secretary Wang behind her.
“Hey, woodenhead, when the fight breaks out, take this girl somewhere safe so she doesn’t get hurt.”
“No, Miss Tang.”
Secretary Wang pushed the flustered waitress out the door, casually adjusting her golden-rimmed glasses. She gently removed them and placed them in the breast pocket of her suit jacket.
Then, she slipped her fingers into her bun and tugged gently, releasing the tightly bound black hair in a waterfall down her back.
With a smooth motion, she gathered it all into a neat, high ponytail.
“I will fight alongside you.”
The secretary stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Tang Jin’er. Her delicate, narrow eyes were calm and unreadable.
“Wait, so you two ran into Gu Tian and his gang of over ten men early this morning and fought them?”
***
Outside the C City Public Security Bureau, Su Ling looked at the two who had just been released on bail and felt a slight headache coming on.
“Hmph! Gu Tian is such a bastard! I was still holding back today!”
Tang Jin’er complained bitterly, a fresh bandage stuck on her beautiful face.
“Enough, enough. We just stepped out of the police station, Miss Tang. You should rest for a bit!”
“Secretary Wang, tell us, what exactly happened?”
Su Ling, with a headache growing worse, turned to Secretary Wang.
“It’s like this, Miss and Miss Tang and I have thoroughly investigated,” Secretary Wang said, adjusting her broken golden-rimmed glasses, a bandage also on her forehead.
“During this period, the real party benefiting from the conflict with the Ruan family is the Gu family.”
“Then Miss Tang went to the club where Gu Tian often hangs out to confront him, and that’s when we ran into them.”
“How did it start?”
Su Ling was puzzled.
“Because Gu Tian admitted he was indeed involved with the disappearance of Madam Ruan and her daughter.”
“Wait, he admitted it?”
Su Ling’s heart jolted. Ruan Zhi Xian had been staying in her home all this time. But if Gu Tian admitted it, then B9…
The Gu family must be connected to Madam Ruan’s disappearance!
Su Ling and Secretary Wang exchanged a glance, confirming it silently.
“Then, because Gu Tian’s attitude was so arrogant, and they apparently intended to do something to a girl, we barged in and caught them in the act. So, in a panic, a fight broke out.”
Secretary Wang concluded the incident calmly.
“Hmph! Gu Tian is a shameless bastard! I’ll beat him every time I see him from now on!”
Tang Jin’er gritted her silver teeth, punching the air repeatedly.
“Hey Su Ling, now that we can fully pin the blame on the Gu family, how about teaming up with me to take them down?”
“You’re fighting a price war with them right now, aren’t you?”
“I help you win the price war, you help me rescue Madam Ruan and Zhi Xian. A win-win, how about it?”
Tang Jin’er, finally a bit calmer, turned to Su Ling and made her proposal.
“Of course, Miss Tang. But let me correct you—we’re just as concerned about Madam Ruan and Zhi Xian’s current situation.”
Su Ling smiled brightly and politely.
“Hmph, good.”
Tang Jin’er muttered but didn’t argue.
“Then, here’s to our cooperation once again.”
Su Ling extended her hand, her fingers slender and delicate, skin slightly pale.
“Yeah, to a good partnership.”
Tang Jin’er shook her hand, her palm fair, nails rounded and neat, coated with slightly chipped delicate nail polish.