Chapter 198: What is so funny?

Time: 4:33 PM. Seven hours and fifty-three minutes left.

---

***

Zhang Chao quickly opened the door to his car and sat inside. He had just got off a call with his daughter, Zhang Ning, who was very upset and had made a mess of the house.

It happened after she returned from the base and started throwing and smashing things around. The maids got terrified of her behavior, and even if they wanted to stop her, they didn't dare to.

One of them quickly informed the guard, and he, in turn, called Zhang Chao, reporting him of the current state.

When Zhang Chao investigated, he found that she met Xin Lei the last time and some conversation with her made her so furious.

Zhang Chao's jaw tightened. "That bitch!"

He somewhat assumed the context of their conversation.

"Bai Li…" he murmured.

He knew it was related to Bai Li because Zhang Ning had made a similar mess in the hospital when she had seen him and Xin Lei kiss. Her temper exploded, and it took a great deal for Zhang Chao to calm her down.

"That bitch! She kissed him! She kissed him, Dad! The nerve of that bitch! Bai Li is mine! I love him and want to marry him! He can be only mine! How dare she touch him!"

"Ning dear...calm down…" He cautiously tried to approach her.

"How can I calm down! That bitch is nothing in front of me! I am Zhang Ning! I can give him everything he wants. Nothing is impossible for me. How can that bitch with no status compare to me!"

And she flipped the table off, enraged. Her chest was heaving up and down, and she clenched her fists.

Then she suddenly started laughing out of the blue. "Dad. It would be cool if I can bring her to my base~"

She tilted her head and giggled. 

"I will show her who exactly is Zhang Ning and how she messed up with the wrong person. She shouldn't have touched my Bai Li."

Zhang shook her head. "No. No. No. She shouldn't have even thought about my Bai Li. She has no right to be his girlfriend. Only I have. Bai Li is so strong and charismatic. Only someone like me can match him and stay by his side."

Zhang Chao quickly nodded. "Yes, yes. If you like Bai Li, then he can only be your husband."

Truthfully, he didn't like Bai Li because he was just a mere ex-soldier. He had no money and status to match the Zhang family, and he didn't want to accept such a man for Zhang Ning, who wasn't as powerful as him. 

But before her, he was helpless. He saw how much she liked him, and for now, he could only agree.

Zhang Chao promised that he would 'take care' of Xin Lei, but before that happened, Zhang Ning kidnapped her in the Zhang residence.

He remembered how it came as a shock to him when Zhang Ning confessed to him that she liked Bai Li.

She was already spellbound by him when he saved her during that rally from a bullet and then when he beat up Yi Xing to protect her from being forcibly kissed.

"Dad. I want Bai Li!" She declared one day.

But the problem was his relationship with Xin Lei, and he didn't take it seriously because of his political connections and power. 

If my daughter wants Bai Li, then she will get him. Who is that woman? I can get her out of his life in just a few seconds, he snickered.

And now, he had to go back home to calm down his daughter once again.

He got a headache.

Just what did that bitch say to her that got her so riled up?

"Take me back to Zhang residence," he ordered the driver.

"Sir. We just received a report that one of the guards found a threat message against you."

"What!? A threat?" Zhang Chao was shocked.

"Yes, sir. It is written in the message that the person threatens that they will end your life. It is not certain, but we think it's the Yi family. The motive is quite clear. Yi Xing was shot by Zhang Xiulan in Tianjin and now-"

"They fucking want revenge. That bastard Yi Xiaosi! I knew he wouldn't sit still!"

"Yes, sir. The chief security officer of your personal protection called our guard and said that they secretly investigated and found that they are ready to attack us on the normal route we take to go to Zhang residence."

"Fuck!" He cursed and swore Yi Xiaosi.

Zhang Chao immediately called the chief and spoke to him.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Yes, sir. It is true. We just came to know about their plan. We also detected movement from the Yi family, and it seems that they have set a trap to catch you."

Zhang Chao gritted his teeth. He took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"What now?"

"Sir, we cannot use the same route to go back home. Actually, I would normally advise you to stay at your office and be safe, but they can target Miss Zhang in the Zhang residence…"

"No!" Zhang Chao exclaimed, "That Yi Xiaosi can do anything! His son was hurt, so he can hurt my Ning, too, to avenge him! I cannot stay here, knowing that she could be in danger! What if our guards are compromised, too, in the Zhang residence?"

"That is exactly what I thought too. But don't worry, sir. We have found an alternate route for you to take. That area around that road is under construction, so it's closed, but we can use it to fool them. They will be waiting for you at your usual route, but we would have already slipped past them."

Zhang Chao nodded. "Let's do that."

He hung up the phone and said to the driver, "Take the car by the new route."

"Yes, sir!"

There were two cars, one of them driving ahead of his car and the other one behind him. His car was sandwiched, no, protected by the guards from front and back.

They took a turn towards the new road, and were driving through it.

Zhang Chao tried to call Zhang Ning and inform her about this situation, but she wasn't picking up her phone.

Damn! She must be busy throwing all the stuff around.

Once again, he rained curses on Yi Xiaosi.

Let me get this threat done and over with, and then see, Xiaosi, how I deal with you! The nerve of you to attack Zhang Chao!?

Zhang Chao was lost in his thoughts when his car suddenly bumped against something, and he snapped out.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?" He cursed at the driver.

He saw that his car had collided with the front car and the car at the back just stopped at the right time to prevent collision with Zhang Chao's car. All three cars had stopped because of the sudden impact.

"What happened? Why did the car collide?"

But, the driver said nothing.

Zhang Chao looked around and found that the road was deserted. There were no under construction buildings or structures.

"Wasn't this road under construction? Why is it so deserted?"

The guards from the other two cars quickly came out and rushed towards Zhang Chao's car, But then suddenly, a series of bullet shots rang from a distance. 

Zhang Chao froze.

One by one, all the guards surrounding his car, toppled down on the ground with a hole in their heads. Nobody knew what happened and when did it occur but in a matter of a few seconds, all of Zhang Chao's protection was lying dead on the ground.

Zhang Chao frantically moved his head left and right, feeling confused as hell, but there was nothing now.

Silence.

There was nobody apart from him and the driver.

"What the hell is going on? All the guards...they are dead! Who shot them? Isn't this supposed to be the safe route?"

Silence.

"Hey, driver! I am talking to you! Are you listening to me!? What the hell is happening?"

Suddenly, the driver burst into laughter.

Panic set in Zhang Chao. He wanted to get out of the car, but he was afraid he would be shot the moment he stepped out.

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny?"

"Your fate, Zhang Chao. That is what is so funny to me."

He was stunned and furious at the same time. "How dare you laugh at me? And how dare you utter my name?"

"Why not?" The driver looked back at Zhang Chao and chuckled. "If not Zhang Chao, then what should I call you?"

Zhang Chao had no idea what was going on now. 

"There is only one thing that I can call you other than your name, but I don't prefer to call you by that because you are undeserving of that title."

"Huh?"

"Isn't it right, Zhang Chao? Or should I say...Dad?"

The driver slowly took out its mask. As soon as the face came in full view, Zhang Chao felt as if he was struck by thunder.

It was a face he knew all too well. He tremblingly pointed his finger at that woman in front of him.

"Y-y-you...X-Xiulan…?"