Chapter 1228: Ji Yingjie Goes Missing 1

Dingsheng.

Shi Ran went straight to the company, sat in her office for half the day, and finally decided to tell her father about this matter.

Chairman's office.

Sheng Hanyu read the contract carefully, then threw it into the trash can.

"Dad, what do you mean?" Shi Ran was a little surprised.

He looked calm: "Can't you tell what I mean? I won't do this business with him."

"With so many Dingsheng industries left in L Country, don't you feel even a little bit of heartache?"

Sheng Hanyu: "I feel heartache, but if it means trading my most precious daughter, I won't do it!"

"There are many good things in the world; everything can be measured by price, can be earned or lost, it's no big deal. Only my family is priceless, and I won't trade them for any amount of money."

Shi Ran suddenly understood, and was even more moved.

She went behind the executive chair and hugged her father's head, acting like a spoiled child: "Dad, you are so good. With you here, I am the happiest child."

"Little fool, you're so grown up, yet you're still acting like a child?"

Although he said that, he still dotingly stroked his daughter's head, just like when she was little.

"Ring—"

Sheng Hanyu's phone rang; it was his wife, Shi Youxuan, calling.

"Hanyu, Auntie still hasn't returned, and she isn't answering her phone. I feel like something isn't right..."

He picked up the phone and walked into the inner room to answer it; it wouldn't be good for his daughter to hear.

"Could Auntie have taken this opportunity to run away?" he said, voicing his inner thoughts.

His wife agreed: "I think so too, that's a possibility."

Sheng Hanyu told his wife not to worry, and that he would immediately send people to look for her.

There weren't many men left to send out; most of them had been sent out to rescue Shi Yucheng and the children.

But even so, Ji Yingjie could not understand the painstaking efforts of her niece and niece's husband, and kept on causing trouble.

Half a day passed.

His subordinate reported: "We haven't found her."

Yun Zhe Hao comforted him: "Don't worry, as long as she wants to leave Jiangzhou through official channels, I will know immediately."

Sheng Hanyu:...

He said quite helplessly: "You don't understand Xuanxuan's aunt. She might take any route, but she definitely won't take an official one."

They still had to keep looking.

Yun Zhe Hao also had connections for smuggling routes; he had already put the word out and distributed photos, so they would get news immediately as soon as anyone saw her.

Evening.

It was dark.

Ji Yingjie had been missing for over twelve hours, but they hadn't even found a shadow of her.

Shi Youxuan thought about it and finally decided to tell her daughter; perhaps she would discover some clues.

She called her daughter to her and said seriously: "Ranran, your great-aunt left with your car this morning."

"Hmm?"

Shi Ran was surprised: "When?"

Her mother: "It was when you were going to see Qi Heng this morning. She said she wanted to follow you to hear what you were saying. Your great-aunt was worried you would be deceived again, so she wanted to follow. I was muddled for a moment and agreed."

Agreeing and being muddled for a moment had nothing to do with each other.

It was mainly because this matter wasn't very honorable, so saying it this way sounded better.

Shi Ran: "My god! She followed me? I didn't notice at all!"

She thought back carefully and quickly thought of the "girl" who insisted on sitting near her in the coffee shop.

Why didn't she take a second look at the time?

Shi Ran told her mother that she had indeed met a seductive "girl" in the coffee shop who insisted on sitting near her.

Shi Youxuan was certain: "That's right, that 'girl' was your great-aunt in disguise."

"She knows you won't take a second look at people you don't like, which is why she dressed up like that."

Shi Ran:...

Now was not the time to dwell on right or wrong.

She thought about it carefully; from the time she left the coffee shop to the underground parking lot, no one had indeed followed her out.

She wasn't trying to guard against others, she was just afraid Qi Heng was following her. Even though she knew he wouldn't do that, she just couldn't help but keep looking back!

There was no one behind her, she could be sure of that.

Based on what her daughter said, Shi Youxuan felt that the coffee shop was problematic and asked her husband to send someone to investigate.

They didn't know until they checked, and they were shocked once they did.

The owner behind that coffee shop was actually Qi Heng!

A very large room, with walls on all four sides.

Someone pulled the cloth off Ji Yingjie's eyes. Her eyes couldn't adapt to the intense light in the room for a moment, and she couldn't help but squint.

Once she adapted after a while, her first reaction was—this is a basement.

The reason was simple: no one was more familiar with the structure of a basement than she was.

Every generation of Clan Leaders of the Ji Family had to take a required course—building an Underground Palace.

The Ji Family had countless treasures; this was a fact many people knew, but the reason the treasures could be coveted by so many people yet never be discovered was largely due to the Underground Palace.

This room has no windows, but there are ventilation ducts on the ceiling; if it isn't a basement, then where else could it be?

No, that's not right.

There is a very familiar feeling here.

Ji Yingjie deduced that this is the Underground Palace beneath the Swamp.

Yet it is a place that has not been developed.

How could Qi Heng possibly have found this place?

It took her completely by surprise.

None of her changes in expression escaped Qi Heng's eyes.

"Clan Leader Ji, you have been wronged; the makeup on your face is too thick to let your skin breathe, isn't it? Why not wash it off so you can feel more relaxed?"

He had someone bring water to wash the makeup off her face.

The water in the basin was very murky, and the makeup on this woman's face hadn't even been fully washed off.

So, he changed the water.

The water in the basin was changed time and time again; after more than a dozen times, her original appearance was finally restored.

Qi Heng mocked her: "One should look their age; you're an old cucumber painted green, what are you pretending to be young for?"

Ji Yingjie ignored his mockery, glared at him fiercely, and asked: "How did you discover it was me? What do you want by kidnapping me?"

Qi Heng replied: "How I discovered you is something you don't need to know; as for what I want by kidnapping you, you should be able to guess."

He deliberately left out one word, his ambition laid bare.

"Pah! Delusional!"

Ji Yingjie mocked: "You call yourself the president of a country? What is the difference between you and a bandit? A dignified president actually resorting to kidnapping and coercion—saying one thing to people's faces and another behind their backs."

"On the surface, you are full of sincerity, apologizing and offering to return money, but in reality, isn't it all for even more money? You want to talk about feelings? Do you even deserve to?"

Ji Yingjie's tongue was as sharp as a knife, and every word drew blood.

But Qi Heng was not angered; there was not even a ripple of emotion on his face.

He said calmly: "If a sharp tongue makes you feel happy, please feel free." After saying this, he left.

A subordinate was puzzled: "President, that old woman just insulted you, and you're just going to let it go? You don't need to do it yourself; just say the word, and I will make her pay for her nonsense just now."

Qi Heng stopped him: "No need. Those who achieve great things do not need to bicker over words. The Ji Family guards countless riches, possesses super-high intelligence, and has countless inventions, yet for so many years they have been content to guard a small piece of land without developing and expanding—all because they talk too much."