Chapter 385 - Smoke

Zirope Town, Liyone. 

"Does any of you feel uncomfortable from the travel?" Iris asked after Yi Bing and Huo Ling went out of the car, with Yi Bing carrying Huo Ling in his arms while Lin Ze placed the wheelchair in front of them for Yi Bing to place Huo Ling in. 

"No. We're good. We're not that fragile." Yi Bing answered. 

Iris smiled.

"This is just for appearance." Yi Bing explained, seeming to know that Iris is doubting whether Huo Ling was really injured, if Yi Bing said that they're not fragile. 

Iris chuckled and didn't say anything anymore.. Lin Ze acted deaf and silently followed behind them. "Come. I'll tour you around." he said. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling silently followed behind. 

Noon. 

"If it were just the Bullone couple, then they would definitely fight against the Portkins. But, Ely is there. He forced the Bullone couple to choose between him and Eram. What could the Bullone couple do?" Iris asked and shrugged as they ate in a nearby restaurant after they finished touring the power station. "Ely is the heir. They just doted too much on Eram. But, this time, they are forced to sacrifice Eram and Ely used Eram to reconnect their connections with the Portkins. The Portkins naturally don't want to have anything to do with the Bullones, since Yule their only son was killed by Eram. But, Ely threatened them to make public the crimes Yule did, including the suicidal death of that poor girl." He sighed. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling didn't comment and just silently ate. 

Iris didn't mind their attitude and continued. "Eram was imprisoned. Yule's body was cremated and the Portkins was forced to continue their altruism with Ely threatening them. This should be the Portkins having the higher hand. But, with no heir anymore, they don't have anything to fight against the Bullones for. The Bullone couple wanted to take a mile after giving an inch. But, fortunately for the Portkins, Ely didn't take it far and stopped his parents' greed. After all, it was his younger brother who killed Yule. Ely still has his conscience." He explained. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling remained silent while eating. 

Iris helplessly sighed seeing their lack of interest. "As for that student Renton Hydd – " he said. 

Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's ears perked up. 

" – it's as if he appeared like a smoke, and disappeared like one." Iris said. 

"What do you mean?" Huo Ling can't help but ask. 

Iris smiled, feeling successful for finally catching their attention. "We can't find any of his relatives, much less his hometown." He told them. 

"… you're kidding, right?" Huo Ling frowned. 

Iris immediately pacified him. "I'm telling the truth." He said. "All of his information was intentionally erased by who knows who. I am still investigating who could have done it." his brows knotted in displeasure remembering his personal belongings were touched. He made a mental note to disinfect everything in his office. "The teacher and the other students also don't have any impression of Renton Hydd, so they don't know who are his relatives, nor where did he come from." He explained. 

"How…?" Huo Ling was speechless. This just can't be a coincidence? He thought. Then, he paused. He remembered the club membership registration form they found. There is the information about the relatives and the hometown. 

0001: don't tell him about the club membership registration form. 

0000: why? 

0001: do you know how to tell him where did we get the membership form? 

Huo Ling froze. Yi Bing has a point. He is right. He really doesn't know how to tell Iris about the existence of this club membership registration form. 

0001: this membership form shouldn't even exist. Remember that trio who went to the library yesterday? 

Huo Ling really remembered Prille, Hierre and Mandy. It is highly likely that they are after this membership form. Although Yi Bing and Huo Ling don't know if the trio knows where the membership form is located. But, seeing that they are still looking for it until now, then it shows that they don't know where was the membership form. 

"What's wrong?" Iris asked when he saw Huo Ling was in a daze. 

Huo Ling snapped out of it. "Nothing. Remembered something unpleasant." He spoke, disguising his mindless state with indifference. 

Iris didn't say anything about it and continued. "With the statement the police have gathered regarding Renton Hydd's hostility towards Yule Portkin, I think that the Portkins hushed Renton's family." He said. 

As to what this 'hushed' means, it is debatable. Was it hushed through money, or hushed… to never speak again, like what they did to Renton? Huo Ling's fists clenched. Yi Bing immediately held his hand and covered it with his hand to pacify him. 

Iris, and the acting invisible Lin Ze, acted blind seeing the two's actions. "But, I personally don't think the Portkins would do this." he spoke. 

"Why?" Yi Bing asked. 

"First, the Portkins are really altruistic, except their son." Iris spoke. "Two, they won't kill anyone, or their altruistic acts would look like hypocrisy. And three – " he looked at them. " – they won't dare bother themselves with someone insignificant." He said. 

"'insignificant'?" Huo Ling asked. 

"Didn't you know that Renton just arrived in Liyone two months ago?" Iris asked. 

Huo Ling and Yi Bing were stunned. They really don't know. 

"Fughlia High has just had its enrollment period for the second semester two months ago." Iris started. "Although it is very unconventional to transfer to another school in the middle of the year since it will inconvenience both the teacher and the student. But if the student can keep up with the lessons himself then why should I reject them?" he asked. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling fell into silence. 

"So, when Renton Hydd went missing, nobody made a mountain out of a molehill since they all thought that Renton can't bear the pressure and cowered, so he backed out at the last minute. It was just the second week of the second semester, and the first week of studying." Iris explained. "I also thought the same, so I had Lin Ze follow up with the process with Renton and his guardian. Who knew that all of Renton's information will be deleted?" he said. 

"What will you do now? He is still your student." Yi Bing said. 

Iris wryly smiled. "I can only have the police continue looking for clues regarding Renton Hydd's whereabouts." He answered. 

But it is just futile, since Renton is already dead. Both Yi Bing and Huo Ling thought. They just continued eating. After all, Yule Portkin's case was already closed, and Renton's missing case had hit a wall, and later would become a cold case. 

"Right. School matters finished… let's talk about my children!" Iris spoke. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling almost choked by fast change of topic. 

"You must have already heard that I can't bear children, so the children I have now were all adopted." Iris said. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling nodded as an answer. 

Since they are talking about his children, Iris seemed livelier. "I have adopted five children – three boys and two girls. All of them are talented." He started. "The eldest is Harris, the most talented. He is a business-minded individual that it scared me, thinking I really sired him." he laughed. "He will be my heir when I die." He said. "The second is Rene. She is a vivacious girl. She is interested in theatrics, and my entertainment-related business will all be handed to her." He explained. "The third one is Rhyan, a boy, who is surprisingly simple and naïve. But I'm not complaining, though. It is his nature, and I'll hand him to Harris to be his assistant." He sighed in helplessness. 

Yi Bing and Huo Ling remained listening. 

"The fourth one is Quinn. He's the liveliest among my male children, and is very smart. He falls short only a step behind Harris." Iris continued. "He is such a smooth-talker, so I'll be handling my overseas business to him." he smiled. "And the last but not the least is Odrey. She's really cute, but introverted. Though, I don't expect much from her since she is the youngest, and is also a girl." He finished. 

How can Yi Bing and Huo Ling believe a word of what Iris said? Not only did Iris already tell them that he has some family problems. Even if he didn't tell them, but Yi Bing and Huo Ling can tell that there is something wrong with his adopted children. Not because that's what they have seen in TV dramas about rich families. 

It's because they are a rich family, so the inheritance is always a blood bath, just like an imperial family drama. Added to the fact that it's Iris – the wealthiest and most influential person in this world… even just one percent of Iris' wealth is enough to feed a person for a lifetime. So, who wouldn't be greedy with Iris' wealth?