Chapter 39: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes Is Actually…

After hanging up the phone, An Luo tapped open the search engine and looked up Gu Group.

"Such a big, wealthy family—why would they target an ordinary person like me?"

As she was puzzling over it, an unknown number suddenly called her.

After she picked up, a haughty female voice came from the other end, commanding right from the start.

"You're An Luo, right? I have news about your biological father. If you want to know, come to the address I'm sending you."

An Luo suddenly tightened her grip on the cup beside her.

"Who are you? How do you know… hello? Hello!"

What answered her was a string of beeping sounds.

Who on earth was this person?

An Luo's gut told her this matter wasn't simple. She packed her things and went through the hospital discharge procedures.

An hour later, in a private room of a coffee shop.

An Luo was a little dazed. She rubbed her ears and stared blankly at the well-groomed, elegantly dressed noble lady sitting across from her.

What had she just said?

The noble lady picked up her coffee and took a sip, frowning slightly, then pushed it aside with a look of distaste. For the rest of the time, she didn't take another sip.

After a long pause, An Luo blinked.

"You're saying my biological father is the Chairman of Gu Group?!"

Across from her, Gu Madam—Mrs. Zheng—heard that exclamation, and a flash of contempt and disdain crossed her eyes.

Just as expected—that kind of reaction!

But then again, it was hardly surprising. After being poor for over twenty years, suddenly learning you're the biological daughter of a major group's chairman—anyone would be that worked up.

But the more she was like this, the easier she was to manipulate.

Mrs. Zheng had long had a plan: first use the whole "returning to your roots" routine to keep her steady, and once the deed was done, toss her a million or so and be done with it.

If she was sensible, she could even give her a little more.

But soaring up to become a phoenix from then on?

She could forget about it!

An Luo naturally saw the blatant contempt in her eyes.

She was quite puzzled. This was, after all, the wife of the chairman of a publicly listed group—how could she be so unable to hide her feelings?

But the next moment she figured it out: it wasn't that the woman couldn't hide them—she simply didn't take her seriously at all.

After all, would anyone care about an ant's feelings or thoughts?

"So? What does Gu Madam want from me today?"

Surely it wasn't to have her acknowledge her roots and go to the Gu Family to fight over the inheritance with her son and daughter?

It seemed she hadn't expected An Luo to ask that, nor that beyond her initial surprise, An Luo would remain so composed.

A momentary blankness crossed Mrs. Zheng's face, but she quickly recovered, returning to that overbearing manner.

"I know your mother left you a Bian Li Dian and a house bought on a mortgage. But your family's shop was burned down today, and there's no way it'll turn a profit anytime soon. Have you thought about the mortgage payments?"

"I suppose you might say you still have savings to tide you over for a while, but from what I know, you've been hooked on Zhu Bo tipping lately, and your savings are nearly gone, aren't they?"

The more she listened, the darker An Luo's expression grew.

She quietly opened her phone, first sent Officer Lu a message, then dialed his number, and at the same time turned on the recorder.

After secretly doing all this, An Luo looked up at Gu Madam, a cold glint in her eyes.

"That's my privacy. On what grounds did you investigate it?"

Gu Madam lifted her chin slightly, her tone utterly matter-of-fact.

"My husband suddenly has an illegitimate daughter spring up. Wouldn't it be perfectly normal for me to want to know more?"

"Illegitimate daughter?"

An Luo's voice rose considerably.

"I'm twenty-two this year. My parents divorced when I was one. Everyone knows you married twenty years ago, yet you produced a pair of twenty-four-year-old twins."

"So, who exactly is the illegitimate child here?"

Mom had never been willing to talk about Dad—these were all things she had just pieced together.

Hearing her words, the look in Gu Madam's eyes instantly turned much more venomous.

An Luo couldn't be bothered to waste any more time on her.

"Just tell me what you want."

"Old Gu has a health problem. We need one of your kidneys."

"Ha!"

An Luo was so angry she laughed.

"How do you even have the nerve to ask?"

Suddenly her face changed drastically. A thought struck her, and she stared hard at Gu Madam across from her.

"So that couple who deliberately hit me, and Xiaoxiao setting the Bian Li Dian on fire—it was all you!"

Gu Madam smiled contemptuously, her face wearing an expression of puzzlement.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I only came to ask for your help. I hope you can save your biological father."

How utterly shameless!

First they drove her into a desperate corner, then they came out acting high and mighty to take her kidney, putting on a show of bestowing a great favor.

As if using her kidney was some tremendous condescension on their part, some act of helpless desperation.

And she was supposed to bow and scrape, offer it up reverently with both hands, and then be grateful, kowtowing in thanks—right?!

Looking at Gu Madam across from her, who wore an expression of certain victory, as if everything were firmly in her grasp, An Luo curled her lip into a cold smile.

A month ago, or even a week ago, she might really have been taken in.

But now, everything was different!

An Luo let out a cold laugh, folded her arms across her chest, leaned back against the chair, and cast a downward glance at the phone on her lap, still on a call.

"Beg?"

"The 'begging' you're talking about — first secretly digging up my medical-exam records, arranging a match, then burning down Bian Li Dian to cut off my income, so that I'd have no choice but to accept your conditions to keep the house Mom left me, and hand over my kidney to you people?!"

"Your way of begging someone really is an eye-opener!"

Gu Madam frowned.

"So you're refusing? Old Gu is your biological father — saving him, isn't that what you should do?!"

"Are you going to just watch him die? How can you be so vicious? This is unfilial!"

An Luo straightened up in her seat, her tone turning even colder.

"Don't you dare try to pin the word 'filial' on me!"

"He never once fulfilled his duty to raise me — what right does he have to demand anything of me now?!"

An Luo raised an eyebrow, as if something had just occurred to her.

"Don't you two have a pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins? Neither of them matched? Could it be…"

As she spoke, she put on an expression of sudden realization.

"Well, that's interesting — your wealthy families really do know how to play."

"Bang!"

Gu Madam slammed the table and shot to her feet, her red-manicured finger trembling as it pointed at An Luo, her whole body shaking with rage.

"Shut your mouth! Don't you dare slander my children!"

"A-Jing and Qing'er are still so young — their lives have only just begun…"

Without one kidney, how will they manage in the future?!

An Luo cut her off impatiently.

"Who isn't young? They're two whole years older than me!"

Saying that, she slipped her phone into her bag and stood up.

"But don't worry — Gu Chairman is ignorant of the law, but I know the law, and I have morals too."

"When he's old and bedridden, unable to take care of himself with no one to look after him, I can pay to put him in a nursing home!"

Saying that, she opened the door of the private room and walked out.

Gu Madam hurriedly fixed her mask and rushed out after her.

"An Luo, stop right there!"

"Your father is about to collapse — the doctor says he has at most one month. I know you hate me. You can hit me, curse me, do whatever you want, but he's your biological father! I'm begging you, please save him!"

That one cry drew the attention of everyone in the café.

"What's going on?"

"Looks like the biological dad is sick, and the stepmother is begging the biological daughter to save him."

Seeing the customers all talking, Gu Madam pressed on.

"You'll only be missing one kidney for now. Once a suitable donor kidney is found, we'll definitely find a way to give it back to you."

An Luo rolled her eyes hard.

Oh, thank you so much!

Can an original part and a replacement ever be the same?

So you're pulling the moral-kidnapping routine, are you?

"After all that, and this girl still won't budge — she's really cold-blooded."

"Exactly. Filial piety comes first among all virtues — what has the world come to."

The accusations at her ear grew more numerous, more grating.

An Luo sneered inwardly.

The knife doesn't hurt unless it's stuck in your own flesh, does it?

Moral kidnapping is so boring — watch big sister throw a fit for you!