"A generous reward never fails to draw a brave man," the saying went. Those people, spotting a flash of red darting through the wild grass in the distance, had eyes that gleamed with greed.
Who was the killer? They were a walking, talking paycheck!
...
Meanwhile, Meng Jingwei and her people rushed over frantically, but no one was to be seen outside the factory.
She got out of the car, looked at the empty factory, and then at the dense tire tracks on the ground. Her face grew even more somber. "Go inside and look for Shen Liannuo."
Meng Jingwei waved her hand, instructing the bodyguards who had alighted from the other cars.
"Yes, Meng Zong."
"Yes, Young Madam."
They had arrived in six cars, with over twenty bodyguards.
Meng Jingwei entered the factory with the bodyguards. Seeing the residual bloodstains, bullet casings, salt bags, batons, and daggers on the ground, her heart sank deeper.
She walked forward, bent down, and picked up a baton. The handle of the baton was wrapped in genuine leather, engraved with Shen Liannuo's character, 'Nuo'.
"Young Madam, we've found... we've found someone."
At that moment, a voice called out from a deserted office in the deepest part of the factory.
Meng Jingwei's eyes lit up, and she hurried over. "Is it Shen Liannuo?"
"No... no, it's not," the bodyguard replied.
The first to reach the office was Song Ci. He entered the abandoned office and saw a blood-soaked person behind a rusty office cabinet.
At first glance, Song Ci couldn't recognize the person. But upon closer inspection, his heart skipped a beat. "Uncle Meng?"
As he called out 'Uncle Meng,' Meng Jingwei had already walked up beside Song Ci.
When she saw the bloodied face, swollen and unrecognizable, Meng Jingwei's nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Dad?"
Meng Jingwei pulled Song Ci aside and walked to the unconscious Meng Tianhua's side. She called out softly and then tentatively checked for breathing near his nose.
"Dad, wake up, it's Jingwei. Dad?"
She gently called out to Meng Tianhua and raised her hand to pat him. However, Meng Tianhua was wounded all over, his face and body unrecognizable. Meng Jingwei held her hand suspended, unsure where to touch him.
The bodyguards stood by, looking at the disfigured and blood-soaked Meng Tianhua, none daring to speak.
Meng Jingwei recalled the salt bags she had seen on the ground earlier. Anger surged through her, and her misty eyes gradually turned a fierce scarlet.
"Song Ci, find some people to take my dad to the hospital first. The rest of you, follow me."
Her face regained its composure, the pain from moments ago vanishing. She appeared unnervingly calm.
"No!"
Song Ci directly refused. "My mission is to protect you. If anything happens to you, the boss will kill me!"
Having followed Qing Muye for so many years, Song Ci had witnessed firsthand his boss's love for Meng Jingwei. If anything were to happen to her, he felt ten lives wouldn't be enough.
Meng Jingwei's steps faltered. She turned back, her cold gaze fixed on Song Ci, then glanced at the unconscious Meng Tianhua on the ground. Her heart clenched fiercely, a piercing pain.
In just a few seconds, the pain in Meng Jingwei's pupils disappeared.
She said calmly and collectedly, "Don't worry, I won't die. Your mission now is not just Zhuo Rui Technology, but also the safety of everyone at Qin Xin Ju. Song Ci, if anyone at Qin Xin Ju suffers any accident before I return, you will be held accountable!"
Song Ci looked at Meng Jingwei, conflicted.
He knew it was very risky for Meng Jingwei to take people to find Tang Nian, but at this critical juncture, the safety of everyone at Qin Xin Ju was also paramount.