CH 076

TL: Moonlit

With Lin Hanchuan’s understanding of Jiang Luo, he knew that this man wasn’t actually stupid. In the past, he had been able to mistreat Jiang Tian without restraint due to the various pressures adults had on children, using his position of power to bully the child.

Many abusers appear to be amiable and charming in public, but reveal their true nature only at home. Jiang Luo was no exception. His reputation was poor among his neighbors, but among his group of friends, he was seen as a loyal and righteous man. He usually avoided provoking people he shouldn’t mess with.

However, people like him were cunning, cruel, and selfish, hiding their true nature behind a façade. In reality, they were the most cowardly and timid, only daring to prey on the weaker ones. Now, facing the high-profile wanted status, Jiang Luo was already in a panic.

The only reason he managed to hold on without completely breaking down was that he still had one last straw to cling to.

Lin Hanchuan gave detailed instructions to Agent 001, ensuring that Jiang Luo wouldn’t escape unscathed under Zhou Yuntang’s protection. He wanted Jiang Luo to take responsibility for Jiang Tian’s life.

As Lin Hanchuan had guessed, during the first few days of hiding in the suburbs, Jiang Luo had been relatively obedient. He didn’t go out or do anything reckless. Whenever he needed something, he would tell Zhou Yuntang, who would purchase it on his behalf. Jiang Luo didn’t even shop online to avoid revealing his location.

However, after about a week of such life, Jiang Luo couldn’t bear it anymore.

The old Jiang Luo used to drink heavily, smoke, and gamble every day. He would go out to play cards and bet money whenever he had the chance. Only when he ran out of money would he find some manual labor or steal to get by.

Now, with a large sum of money on him and nowhere to spend it, Jiang Luo was getting restless.

His old phone had been lost, and he had replaced the SIM card with a new one. He wondered if this brand-new smartphone could see through his true nature, as all the push notifications seemed to hit a nerve with him.

Initially, he received news about human traffickers sentenced to the death penalty, followed by stories of criminals who committed crimes in China and escaped abroad to evade the law. In the past two days, there were even some illegal gambling websites mixed in.

“Anyway… I can’t go out, and I have nothing else to do.” After seeing that website for the fifth time, Jiang Luo couldn’t resist any longer and clicked on it.

To his surprise, Jiang Luo, who had always had mediocre gambling skills and luck, was winning in the beginning. This once gloomy and reclusive man suddenly became excited, and he started betting larger amounts.

Until the system told him that his balance was insufficient, his feverish mind cleared up a bit. It was then that Jiang Luo realized he had run out of luck. Not only did he lose all the money he won, but he even lost the 50,000 Yuan that Zhou Yuntang had given him.

“It’s just bad luck. Otherwise, I would have definitely doubled it.” No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Jiang Luo’s frustration and excitement were evident in his red eyes. “If you let me play one more round, I’ll definitely turn things around!”

Once again, Zhou Yuntang received a text from Jiang Luo asking for money. He furrowed his brow slightly but didn’t pay much attention as he sent another 50,000 Yuan. Though Jiang Luo’s requests for money were becoming frequent, 50,000 Yuan was still a small sum for him and hardly worth mentioning.

However, the frequency at which Jiang Luo asked for money was too much, wasn’t it? Zhou Yuntang scrolled through the transaction records and finally noticed something amiss. In just three or four days, he had sent over more than 200,000 Yuan.

Although 200,000 Yuan was not a small sum, it was far more than what was needed for daily expenses. Especially considering that Jiang Luo rarely left the house, where could all this money be going?

Doubts arose in Zhou Yuntang’s mind, and he couldn’t turn a blind eye any longer. Without informing anyone in the Zhou family, he discreetly slipped out of the house.

Like Zhou Yuntang, Zhou Zhengqing, the second son of the Zhou family, had also been feeling down lately due to losing countless fans and facing criticism of his acting skills from netizens. He had been holed up in his room, but today, he finally managed to adjust his mood and stepped out. As soon as he left the room, he saw Zhou Yuntang sneaking out, and he secretly followed him, worried that someone outside might harm Zhou Yuntang.

After all, no matter how they argued, Zhou Zhengqing regarded Zhou Yuntang as his real brother. He attributed their recent conflicts to their bad moods and didn’t dwell on them.

Zhou Yuntang didn’t use the family’s driver and instead took a taxi to the outskirts.

The house where Jiang Luo lived was one he found on his own, and he had paid three times the market price to live there without any identity verification. The landlord was only interested in the money and didn’t think much about it.

Since the day he brought Jiang Luo here, Zhou Yuntang hadn’t visited this place again. This was only his second time here.

The surroundings were as desolate as ever, with garbage scattered around the corners of the building. Zhou Yuntang covered his nose, stood in front of this two-story small house, and hesitated to knock on the door. Instead, he called Jiang Luo.

After a while, Jiang Luo finally answered the phone.

“Dad, I came to see you. I’m already downstairs. Can you open the door for me?” Due to his usual habits, Zhou Yuntang subconsciously used a sweet and gentle tone when speaking to someone he liked. Only in front of those who disliked him would he not bother with any pretenses.

Jiang Luo didn’t even hear what he said; he simply replied with a perfunctory “Mhm.”

Frowning, Zhou Yuntang repeated his request, and only then did Jiang Luo suddenly react and hurriedly ran to open the door.

From a distance, Zhou Zhengqing, who had followed Zhou Yuntang, didn’t understand why Zhou Yuntang had come here. It was only when he saw someone opening the door for Zhou Yuntang that he suddenly realized who the person was!

The scum who swapped the two children – Zhou Yuntang’s biological father… Zhou Zhengqing’s mind was buzzing, unable to comprehend why Zhou Yuntang would come to meet this wanted man.

Wasn’t Jiang Luo under a wanted status? Zhou Zhengqing could treat Zhou Yuntang like a real brother, but he couldn’t accept any association between Zhou Yuntang and this scum. It wasn’t because of his affection for his biological brother, Jiang Tian, or anything like that. He simply despised Jiang Luo’s character and was worried that the cute and gentle “Sugar” might learn bad behavior or become closer to his biological father out of a sense of blood connection.

Sitting in the car, Zhou Jiayou lit a cigarette, suddenly unsure of what to do.

“You’re gambling?!” As soon as Zhou Yuntang entered the room, he noticed that Jiang Luo was talking to him while playing cards. At first, he didn’t see anything wrong, but then Jiang Luo, right in front of him, topped up 20,000 Yuan in chips.

Jiang Luo didn’t care about Zhou Yuntang’s shock and casually retorted, “I’m just bored, playing around for a while.”

Zhou Yuntang was already regretting why he had come near this scum, and he asked, “You spent all the money I gave you on this?”

“It’s just a few tens of thousands. Besides, you’re so rich,” Jiang Luo replied arrogantly.

To him, the money he never had in his hands was just a string of numbers, especially since he obtained it so effortlessly. Jiang Luo didn’t feel the slightest bit of remorse. He was overjoyed that his spur-of-the-moment decision to send his biological son to a wealthy family had secured his future.

He could still enjoy the life of a wealthy person for a few more days before it all ended, and Jiang Luo felt extremely satisfied.

Zhou Yuntang took a deep breath. He had seen and heard about many things in the Zhou family, including things most ordinary people hadn’t. He knew that even a rich second-generation like Jiang Luo could ruin the family’s wealth due to gambling addiction. He couldn’t believe that Jiang Luo could overcome his desires.

With a cold expression, Zhou Yuntang shed his previous soft and harmless exterior, his demeanor now resembling his elder brother’s. “I won’t give you money anymore,” he said firmly.

Jiang Luo paused for a moment, looking up at Zhou Yuntang.

“We shouldn’t have any further contact. Take care of yourself,” Zhou Yuntang said, turning to leave.

Jiang Luo acted quickly, blocking Zhou Yuntang’s way. His expression was no longer the gentle and loving one from a few days ago, but filled with a dark and malevolent aura. “I went to great lengths to send you to a wealthy family. Do you think your current life of luxury came from nowhere? It’s because of me!”

“I gave you your life, and I gave you this good life. Now that I’m facing problems, you want to abandon me? You think you’re the young master of the Zhou family, but you’re my seed, and I’m your father!”

Although Zhou Yuntang was nearly as tall as Jiang Luo, he hadn’t exercised regularly, and his body was far weaker than the depleted physique of Jiang Luo. As Jiang Luo firmly grasped his shoulder, Zhou Yuntang couldn’t move and felt panicked. “Dad, you said you loved me!”

“Of course, I love you,” Jiang Luo forced a smile, but it looked even more sinister and wicked. No one could imagine that he used to be a handsome young man. Years later, he had turned into a devil emerging from hell.

“Dad, let go of me, and I’ll give you money when I get back.” Realizing that the situation was unfavorable, Zhou Yuntang immediately softened his tone, using the same voice that others had always liked, begging for mercy. “Dad, I was wrong; you’re hurting me.”

The devil grinned, showing his teeth. “Don’t think I don’t know; once you get back, you’ll get rid of me. Let me tell you, that’s not happening.”

Saying this, Jiang Luo didn’t hesitate and punched Zhou Yuntang, knocking him to the ground. He then casually grabbed his belt and tied Zhou Yuntang’s hands, suspending him from a nearby cabinet.

Zhou Yuntang was completely dazed. He never expected to be struck. With just one blow to his temple, his head was buzzing, and his body became weak and powerless.

Feeling Jiang Luo skillfully tying him up, Zhou Yuntang suddenly had a thought: Is this the technique he practiced on Jiang Tian?

In the news, there were witnesses who said that Jiang Luo was incredibly cruel to children. To prevent them from escaping, he would tie them to trees and beat them.

Although Zhou Zhengqing was mentally prepared to take Zhou Yuntang away, he saw his beloved brother being beaten through the window after entering. Fuming with anger, he kicked the door and yelled, “Scum! Let go of my brother!”

With his eyes burning red, Jiang Luo turned around and looked at his surroundings. He walked to the balcony, grabbed a flowerpot, and forcefully opened the door. Before Zhou Zhengqing could react, Jiang Luo suddenly smashed the flowerpot on his head.

His actions were steady, precise, and ruthless, displaying a terrifying level of proficiency.

“Second brother!” Zhou Yuntang shouted loudly, his struggling movements shaking the somewhat unstable cabinet, causing it to creak.

“Zhou family?” Jiang Luo wiped off the few drops of blood from his hand on Zhou Zhengqing’s expensive clothes. He pinched the man’s face and looked at him, saying, “I know you. You’re that… TV star.”

Zhou Zhengqing’s head throbbed with pain, and he could only manage to open his eyes slightly, seeing the greedy expression on the other man’s face.

“Even if my brat is not worth much, and you don’t want him, with your status, they can still pay for his ransom, right? I wonder if one million will be enough…”

Zhou Zhengqing found it absurd that someone would smash his head for a mere one million. His face was worth tens of millions, yet this vulgar scum treated one million as if it were a huge sum.

For him, any problem that money could solve was not a problem at all. Zhou Zhengqing gave Zhou Yuntang a faint smile, trying to comfort him, saying that everything would be fine, and not to be afraid, as the family would soon come to save them with money.