Xiang Mingzhang felt like he was dreaming, his body and mind were suspended and uncertain. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw darkness all around him, with only a ray of light above his head.
He was lying on his side in a strange posture. When he moved, he found that his arms were tied behind his back and his wrists were tied with ropes.
Xiang Mingzhang's first reaction was kidnapping.
He recalled calmly that after the party, he and Chu Shichen were preparing to go to Jingpu mansion. He got in the car first, and then was suddenly electrocuted and fell into coma.
What about Chu Shichen who followed him
Xiang Mingzhang tensed his core and straightened his upper body, and was stunned for a moment. The beam of light was projected in from the porthole, and waves could be heard outside the window.
"Chu Shichen..." Xiang Mingzhang stood up in shock. He identified the location of the door, rushed over and kicked the door shut, "Someone come!"
There was a flurry of footsteps, and about four or five adults came in. The door opened, and the man in the lead was wearing a black diving suit and overalls. He had bulging muscles and a layer of stubble on his chin compared to the photo.
Xiang Mingzhang looked at Alan who had finally surfaced, and had a bad feeling. He asked, "Where is Chu Shichen?"
Alan said in unclear Mandarin: "Mr. Xiang still has time to worry about his friends."
Xiang Mingzhang narrowed his eyes sharply and asked tentatively: "So, I am the target?"
He had been focusing his attention on Chu Shichen, thinking that the trouble was caused by the Chu family's equity issue, but he forgot that he was the other party invited to the signing party.
Could it be that he is using "Chu Shichen" as a cover, but the person he actually wants to kill is him
He had been on high alert the entire day, but there was a mistake in the Xiang family's car. He was attacked as soon as he got in the car. The only person behind him at the time was Uncle Qi.
So, the one who wants to harm him...
A storm was brewing in Xiang Mingzhang's mind. He understood everything. He was surprised and said defiantly, "So you remember everything. It must have been hard for you to pretend to be confused for so long!"
Alan did not expect that Xiang Mingzhang was not afraid at all, but was arrogant and signaled the people around him to take action.
Xiang Mingzhang raised his leg and kicked, shouting, "Let the person who makes the decision come!"
The four or five kidnappers changed their expressions and rushed forward to hold Xiang Mingzhang down. Although his body was tightly controlled, Xiang Mingzhang was still as imposing as ever: "Xiang Xingzhao doesn't show up, so what are his lackeys doing?"
A shadow was cast on the wall of the corridor. Uncle Qi walked to the door and said gloomily, "Bring Mr. Xiang out."
The kidnappers took Xiang Mingzhang out. There was a small living room outside with windows on three sides facing the deck, and the sea breeze blew in continuously.
The sea, Alan, the yacht, it all came together.
Xiang Mingzhang was tied up but still stood tall, and asked, "Where is Chu Shichen?"
Uncle Qi sat in a booth against the wall and said, "I thought the first person you would ask was Mr. Xiang."
Xiang Mingzhang repeated: "Tell me, where is Chu Shichen?"
"Ming Zhang," Uncle Qi changed his tone to that of an elder, "When your grandfather had a stroke, you watched him die without helping him. Did you ever think that this day would come?"
Xiang Mingzhang said with a cold face: "I just hate that he was lucky enough to have a chance to survive."
Uncle Qi said in a deep voice: "I have watched you grow up. You are too smart and capable, but fortunately you are filial. It's a pity that you deceived everyone. You are just ambitious."
Xiang Mingzhang raised his chin and said, "You might as well say that Xiang Xingzhao is raising a tiger to cause trouble. I am in this situation today because of him, Director Xiang."
Uncle Qi said: "Xiang Dong can raise tigers, but he can also kill them."
Xiang Mingzhang said contemptuously: "Why, you can't bring me down while I'm alive, so you want to kill me?"
Uncle Qi asked, "Are you scared?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked back: "Since Xiang Xingzhao already knew that I hated him to the core, did he feel guilty every time he faced me alone in the past two years? Was he afraid?"
Uncle Qi waved his hand angrily: "If you don't agree, then you'll have to suffer first!"
Alan kicked Xiang Mingzhang's knee hard, and Xiang Mingzhang fell to the ground on one knee. His body was unbalanced and almost fell. He staggered to his feet, tilted his head to avoid a punch, and raised his knee to hit the opponent's lower abdomen.
Suddenly, Uncle Qi took out an agate brooch from his coat pocket.
Xiang Mingzhang froze in his tracks and was pinned to the ground by the four kidnappers who rushed over.
Punches and kicks fell like heavy rain. Xiang Mingzhang could no longer resist. He tried his best to raise his neck, staring at the brooch that Chu Shichen originally wore on his collar.
He was kicked hard in the back, his spine felt like it was broken, and a muffled groan was stuck in his throat, tainted with a fishy smell, and he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood foam.
The last punch hit Xiang Mingzhang's forehead. His ears were buzzing and his eyes went blank for a few minutes. He dropped his head and someone grabbed his short hair and lifted him up.
Uncle Qi looked at him and said, "This is for Xiang Dong to teach you a lesson for your treason."
Blood oozed from the corners of Xiang Mingzhang's eyes, soaking his entire eye sockets. When he opened his mouth, blood trickled down from the corners of his mouth: "No problem, come at me, it has nothing to do with anyone else."
Uncle Qi played with the brooch and said, "I remember this brooch belonged to Miss Bai. How come it is worn by Mr. Chu?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Where on earth is Chu Shichen?!"
Uncle Qi did not answer: "Miss Bai is willing to give away her beloved dowry. Your relationship with Mr. Chu is indeed extraordinary."
"Tell me," Xiang Mingzhang pleaded, suppressing his anger, "Where is Chu Shichen... What did you do to him?"
Uncle Qi said, "Your grandfather loves you and doesn't want to leave you alone. Since you like Chu Shichen so much, how about letting him be buried with you?"
Xiang Mingzhang's nose wrinkled and became ferocious: "If anything happens to Chu Shichen, someone will be buried with him. At that time, let Xiang Xingzhao send the young one off. But it won't be me, but his own son Xiang Long!"
Uncle Qi stood up, walked over and squatted, stretched out his hand to pinch Xiang Mingzhang's neck, and asked: "Your father is not sick at all, right? Where is he?"
Xiang Mingzhang's face was covered in blood, red to an unhealthy color. He said with difficulty, "We, father and son... who will die more miserably?"
Uncle Qi tightened his fingers: "Xiang Mingzhang, open your eyes and look at your situation. You are not qualified to negotiate terms!"
His eyes flickered with a provocative aura, and Xiang Mingzhang roared, "I said, come at me, why don't you just kill me now!"
Uncle Qi pinched him and pressed him to the ground, his nails almost piercing the tendons in his neck: "Where is Xiang Long? Where did you hide Xiang Long?!"
Xiang Mingzhang seemed to be out of breath and could not make any sound. Suddenly, his neck was loosened. He retched in response to the stress and collapsed to the ground, choking on a mouthful of hot blood.
He replied hoarsely: "I want to make sure Chu Shichen is safe."
Uncle Qi stood up angrily and said condescendingly: "Take Mr. Xiang away."
In a guest room on the bottom floor of the cabin, there was no furniture and miscellaneous items piled around. Chu Shichen was lying on the floor in a daze.
Chu Shichen's bones felt numb and his limbs felt like they were filled with lead. He tried hard to recall and remembered seeing Alan before he lost consciousness.
Why was Alan sitting in the Xiang family's car with Uncle Qi
Xiang Mingzhang was unconscious at the time... Chu Shichen connected all the information together and regained most of his consciousness.
The door suddenly opened, and in the dim light Chu Shichen recognized a familiar silhouette at a glance—"Xiang Mingzhang!"
The kidnapper carried Xiang Mingzhang into the room, slammed the door shut, and his tall body fell to the ground, turning into a black shadow.
Chu Shichen got up and stumbled on his knees to Xiang Mingzhang. His hands were tied, and he leaned closer and smelled a strong smell of blood.
Xiang Mingzhang asked anxiously: "Are you injured? Does it hurt anywhere? Did they beat you?!"
"I'm fine." Chu Shichen used his cheek instead of his palm to rub along Xiang Mingzhang's temples to his chest, touching the warm liquid. "You're bleeding. Are you seriously injured?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It doesn't matter, I remember it."
Chu Shichen stretched out one leg for Xiang Mingzhang to rest his head on, then bent his knees to help Xiang Mingzhang get up. No one could see each other clearly, they could only hear each other's breathing.
The room was very small. Xiang Mingzhang sat up with difficulty and leaned against the wall. Chu Shichen stayed next to him. Unable to touch him, they kept sticking close to each other, like two trapped animals in a trap in the dark night.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Are you afraid?"
Chu Shichen sniffed the blood from Xiang Mingzhang, and said calmly but angrily: "I was worried that something might happen to you. You are the target of the murderer, but I didn't expect Uncle Qi to have a problem. Could it be..."
Xiang Mingzhang said dejectedly: "Yes, it's Xiang Xingzhao."
Chu Shichen recalled that after getting on the bus, he saw Alan, and then was electrocuted and unconscious. Because he fell in the car, the surveillance camera could not tell what happened.
The Panamera drove out of the garage, and Uncle Qi informed the security chief that Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen got drunk at the party and needed to be taken back to the Xiang family mansion.
Xiang Mingzhang had informed in advance that a family car would come to pick him up, so his statement made sense.
Uncle Qi asked everyone to deal with the aftermath on their own. If there were any questions, he would contact the legal person in charge of Xugu Garden, Xiang Mingzhang's uncle, and then the garden would be closed and everyone would have to disperse.
After security gave the go-ahead, the Panamera did not return to the Jingpu mansion, but sailed all the way to the coastal pier. Uncle Qi tied Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen onto the yacht.
Chu Shichen asked in confusion: "Your grandfather is seriously ill, why would he harm you?"
That night at the racecourse, Xiang Mingzhang had yet to tell the truth: "More than two years ago, Xiang Xingzhao had a stroke. I was right next to him, and he collapsed at my feet."
Xiang Mingzhang silently watched Xiang Xingzhao twitching in pain, ignoring him and not trying to help him. It was not until someone passed by and discovered him that Xiang Xingzhao was sent to the hospital and saved his life.
Chu Shichen said: "At that moment he knew that you were harboring resentment and had been pretending since you were a child."
Xiang Xingzhao not only knew that Xiang Mingzhang hated him, but also wished him dead. The more he trusted and respected Xiang Mingzhang, the more shocked and angry he was.
However, Xiang Xingzhao had been giving up power step by step, and Xiang Mingzhang had been cautious. He had everything, including equity, resources, and supporters, and had grown so big that he could not be easily shaken. So Xiang Xingzhao pretended to have dementia to let Xiang Mingzhang down. In the past two years, whenever there was a family dinner, Xiang Mingzhang would become emotionally abnormal as long as Bai Yongti was mentioned, which made Xiang Xingzhao more convinced that he would not give up.
There is murderous intention hidden between the grandfather and grandson. If Xiang Xingzhao wants to spend his old age in peace and regain power, he must get rid of Xiang Mingzhang.
After waiting for a year, Xiang Yue wanted to acquire Yisi's shares in the early spring of last year. Chu Shichen said, "Xiang Xingzhao decided to take action during the yacht party."
When something happens to a person, the first suspects that will be investigated are relatives, so the risk of killing Xiang Mingzhang alone is too high.
Everything about the contract revolves around "Chu Shichen", which is like a smoke screen. Once something goes wrong, it will be assumed that it is the Chu family's problem, and the blame can be put on Li Cangqiu who has a better motive.
More importantly, since the party was at sea, accidents could be easily faked as accidents, and the scene and evidence were difficult to preserve.
The opportunity was perfect, and Xiang Mingzhang finally realized: "I am the target, and so is 'Chu Shichen'. Either we die in the same 'accident', or it creates the illusion that I am implicated by him."
Chu Shichen said: "It's a pity that I didn't expect you to break the appointment at the last minute."
Xiang Mingzhang speculated: "They hired Alan to discuss the yacht explosion and the lives of me and 'Chu Shichen'. He was paid to do the job and would not understand the tricks involved."
"You didn't show up, so you escaped." Chu Shichen continued, "Alan continued to implement the plan and tampered with the yacht to kill 'Chu Shichen'. Another thing is that 'Chu Shichen' knew that he was a fake Chang Cheh, and he needed to silence him."
Xiang Mingzhang's scalp tingled: "It turns out that I was the one who implicated 'Chu Shichen'."
Suddenly, Chu Shichen remembered the first time he went to Jingpu Mansion. The Xiang family members gathered together. He happened to look up and met Xiang Xingzhao's eyes.
Later, Xiang Xingzhao was hospitalized, and Chu Shichen stayed alone in the treatment room for a while. The old man stared at him, said that he was not "Chu Shichen", and asked him who he was and what kind of person he was.
At that time, he felt quite guilty, thinking that Xiang Xingzhao had seen through his flaw. Now, thinking about it again, he realized that Xiang Xingzhao was just testing him out of suspicion.
Because Alan must have told his employer that "Chu Shichen" was dead.
They were followed in Guangzhou, and in the video, Alan was facing the video store, staring at the window almost blatantly. Including tonight, when Chu Shichen got in the car, Alan couldn't wait to turn around.
He was trying to confirm who this "Chu Shichen" was.
All the details have a traceable path, and all the strange things must have a cause.
"Click", the door opened and Uncle Qi walked in with a document. He pressed the switch on the wall and a dim wall lamp lit up in the room.
Chu Shichen saw Xiang Mingzhang's appearance clearly in an instant. His nose and face were swollen, his handsome features were stained with blood, there were horrible fingerprints on his neck, and his suit was covered with dust from the soles of his shoes.
Uncle Qi ordered, "Untie Mr. Xiang."
Alan stepped forward to untie the rope behind Xiang Mingzhang, and glanced at Chu Shichen by the way.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "What do you mean?"
Uncle Qi slammed the document on the floor and said, "You set up a good scheme, but Mr. Chu's equity transfer agreement must be fake. I threw it away."
Chu Shichen said coldly: "What do you want?"
Uncle Qi said, "This one is the real one, Mr. Xiang, please sign it."
Xiang Mingzhang felt a sharp pain in his shoulders and his arms seemed to be broken. After Uncle Qi left and locked the door, he gritted his teeth and raised his hands to untie Chu Shichen's rope.
The document fell at his feet. He picked it up, opened it and a pen fell out.
Chu Shichen flexed his wrist and immediately asked, "What is it?"
Xiang Mingzhang looked at the words written on the paper and said, "My will."
(End of this chapter)