Chapter 16: Chen Xue Wen’s Final Journey
Chen Xue Wen’s face darkened as he snatched the Personal Handy-phone and scanned the multiple messages on the screen. These texts came from different senders. Among them was one from He Fei, inquiring about Wu Li Hong’s whereabouts. It seemed that after Chen Xue Wen had taken Wu Li Hong from the Internet Cafe, He Fei had attempted to find her. However, He Fei had only sent a single message, indicating that he wasn’t particularly concerned about Wu Li Hong.
Flipping to the last message, Chen Xue Wen found one sent by someone called Young Master Zhou.
The message was clear: Inform Chen Xue Wen that Li Er Yong is in my hands!
There was no doubt—this Young Master Zhou was Zhou Hao. He must have learned that Chen Xue Wen had abducted Wu Li Hong, so he sent this message to her, knowing full well that it would reach Chen Xue Wen. It was a deliberate move.
Chen Xue Wen furrowed his brows. He hadn’t expected this situation to also involve Li Er Yong.
Since the death of his parents, Li Er Yong was the only person Chen Xue Wen considered family, having grown up together like brothers. And now, Zhou Hao had captured Li Er Yong—striking directly at Chen Xue Wen’s weakest point. It was clear that after barely surviving Chen Xue Wen’s assassination attempt, Zhou Hao held a grudge and now sought to use Li Er Yong as bait to force him out.
Chen Xue Wen held the Personal Handy-phone for a moment in deep thought before finally dialing Zhou Hao’s number.
The call barely rang before Zhou Hao picked up, his voice brimming with smugness. “Yo, old classmate, I almost thought I wouldn’t hear from you.”
Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath and said in a cold, steady voice, “Zhou Hao, this is between you and me. Li Er Yong has nothing to do with it. Let him go!”
Zhou Hao laughed. “Old classmate, that’s not fair now, is it? If it weren’t for your dear friend, it would’ve been difficult for me to get in touch with you at all. Let him go? Then how am I supposed to find you?”
Chen Xue Wen gritted his teeth. “What do you want?”
Zhou Hao’s tone turned casual. “It’s simple. I just want to be a good citizen and cooperate with the Law Enforcement Team. If you turn yourself in and accept the punishment, then everything will be fine.”
Chen Xue Wen’s brows tightened. If he fell into the hands of the Law Enforcement Team, he was certain to face the death penalty. However, if he didn’t comply, Li Er Yong’s life would be in grave danger.
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Xue Wen’s eyes flashed with resolve. “Zhou Hao, don’t forget—I still have Wu Li Hong and Zhao Dong in my hands. I’ll exchange them for Li Er Yong.”
Zhou Hao burst into laughter. “Chen Xue Wen, have you lost your mind? What do those two matter to me?”
Chen Xue Wen’s face turned grim. He hadn’t expected Zhou Hao to be so ruthless.
Wu Li Hong let out a bitter laugh from the side. This outcome was something she had anticipated.
Chen Xue Wen’s mind raced. He needed to find a way out of this.
Then, an idea struck him. He lowered his voice and said, “Zhou Hao, do you really think turning myself in will let you walk away unscathed? Listen to me carefully—my father took an Autopsy Report. And he left a backup. That backup is with me!”
“You want me to turn myself in? Fine! But you better think carefully about the consequences!”
A long silence followed.
Then, Zhou Hao scoffed. “You’re bluffing. If you really had a backup, why did you come after me with a knife instead of exposing me? If you had it, why haven’t you already reported me?”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “If you don’t believe me, then we have nothing left to discuss. I can’t save Li Er Yong, but that backup will ensure you go down with me.”
With that, he ended the call.
Not long after, the Personal Handy-phone rang again—it was Zhou Hao.
Chen Xue Wen answered, and this time, Zhou Hao’s voice was filled with frustration. “Chen Xue Wen, what the hell do you want?!”
Chen Xue Wen’s reply was icy. “I want to live.”
Zhou Hao hesitated. “What… what do you mean?”
Chen Xue Wen’s voice was calm but firm. “I want my name cleared. I want to survive. And I need a lot of money. A lot.”
Zhou Hao fell silent before eventually chuckling. “Is that all? Easy. Money isn’t an issue. If you’re serious, let’s meet and talk.”
Wu Li Hong frantically shook her head at Chen Xue Wen, urging him not to trust Zhou Hao.
But Chen Xue Wen remained impassive. “Fine.”
Zhou Hao immediately provided a meeting location.
Chen Xue Wen noted it down and ended the call, his gaze darkening with determination.
Wu Li Hong’s voice trembled. “Chen Xue Wen, are you insane? You’re going to meet Zhou Hao? Do you even know how many people he has with him? You’re walking into a death trap!”
Chen Xue Wen looked at her calmly. “I know.”
“But I have no other choice. This is my only chance, and I can’t let Li Er Yong die because of me.”
Wu Li Hong was desperate. “You don’t even have the Autopsy Report! Once you’re there, Zhou Hao won’t let you leave alive!”
Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath. “Then let’s see who survives the night.”
Before leaving, he loosened Wu Li Hong’s bindings and removed half of the Adhesive Tape over her mouth.
“Struggle hard enough, and you should be able to free yourself in a few hours. Once you’re free, call for help.”
Without another word, he placed her inside the Sweet Potato Cellar.
Wu Li Hong lay inside, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head furiously, begging him not to go.
But Chen Xue Wen remained silent. He covered the cellar with a stone slab, turned away, and walked off with unwavering resolve.
Back in the city, he first visited a clothing store and bought a leather jacket. Then he went to the market, purchasing two bottles of foreign liquor, two containers of oil, a bag of lime, a pair of large-frame glasses, and a piece of cowhide. On the way, he stole two Bone Cutting Knives.
At an abandoned location in the outskirts, he began preparing.
He poured out the foreign liquor and filled the bottles with oil, then slipped the Bone Cutting Knives inside. The labels on the bottles conveniently concealed the hidden weapons. To an untrained eye, the bottles appeared completely normal.
Next, he stripped down, wrapped himself in cowhide to form crude armor, put his clothes back on, and donned the leather jacket. He filled a plastic bag with lime, hid it in his sock, and scattered more lime inside his sleeves and pant legs. Finally, he wrapped his hands tightly with white cloth.
With everything ready, he knelt in the snow, facing his home, and solemnly bowed three times.
“Dad, Mom, watch over me tonight. I will kill Zhou Hao and avenge you.”
“I’ll be with you soon.”
Under the endless snowfall, with only his own footprints trailing behind, Chen Xue Wen set out alone toward Zhou Hao’s villa.
This was a journey of no return.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
This story is so good! Thanks for the chapter!