Chapter 264: 264: Avenging Uncle, Luo Huaiyu Trapped in a Sea of Fire (First Update)

The very cool girl wore opaque glasses and asked in a low voice, “Do you have any gasoline?”

So cool!

If she were wearing a motorcycle helmet, it would have been perfect. The clerk couldn’t help but take a few more glances, “Yes, we have it.” He looked outside, didn’t see a car, and assumed it was parked far away, “Would you like me to fill it up for you?”

“No need,” she said, “Just sell it to me.”

“…”

Isn’t she planning to start a fire?

Alarmed by his own speculation, the clerk retreated towards the mop at the back. If this criminal dared to hurt him, he would fight back with the mop, “Our store doesn’t sell it directly.”

“You don’t sell it?”

The ‘criminal’ thought for a moment, with a very serious tone, “If you don’t sell it to me, I’ll burn down your shop.”

She definitely is a criminal!

Even at the level of a terrorist!

The clerk instantly caved, “Sell, sell, sell.” He shakily asked the ‘terrorist’, “How much do you want?”

The ‘terrorist’: “Enough to burn down a three-story villa.”

“…” Oh my god!

Around eight o’clock, a strong wind suddenly picked up.

Tang Ying knocked on the door, and the person inside said to come in.

She pushed the door and entered, didn’t see Zhou Qingrang, only the assistant Xiao Yuan was inside, and she asked, “Did senior brother leave?”

Xiao Yuan said, “He left right after the broadcast.” He was still holding Zhou Qingrang’s phone, “He left his phone behind, and I don’t know who’s been trying to reach him; the phone keeps ringing.”

While talking, the ringtone sounded again.

Xiao Yuan glanced at the caller ID, it was the same number as before, “It’s ringing again, it must be something urgent.”

“You should answer it.”

Xiao Yuan took the call.

The person on the other end was a girl, calling Zhou Qingrang, “Little uncle.”

Little uncle?

Isn’t Mr. Zhou without family?

“Hello, I am Mr. Zhou’s assistant.”

“Hello, I am Tang Xiang.”

Xiao Yuan politely explained, “Mr. Zhou has already left, and he left his phone at the radio station. Do you have some kind of urgent matter to discuss with him?”

No wonder nobody was answering.

Tang Xiang had just learned about the relationship between Zhou Xu and Zhou Qingmeng, and the first person she thought of was Zhou Qingrang. She felt sorry for Zhou Xu but also happy for Zhou Qingrang.

He’s been all alone, having a relative would be good for him.

“If you see him, could you ask him to return my call?”

Xiao Yuan said, “Of course.”

Tang Xiang: “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Outside, the wind was booming, and it was unclear whether it was going to rain.

Jiang Zhi’s phone rang; the delivery had arrived. He ended the video conference and came out of the study but didn’t see Zhou Xu in the living room.

The bedroom light was on.

“Xu Fang.”

“Xu Fang.”

No one answered, and he searched the room but didn’t find her.

She was not at home, and just fifteen minutes ago, she had been curled up on the sofa watching a show. Now, there was no sign of her. Normally, she would always tell him when she was leaving the house, even if she had errands to run at the last minute, she would report to him in advance.

Jiang Zhi dialed her number; it was switched off, and even the number she usually used for assignments wasn’t reachable.

He called Fang Lixiang.

“Director Jiang,” Fang Lixiang was quite surprised when the big director himself made a call. Could it be that he wanted to offer her more scenes?

“Is my girlfriend with you?”

“…”

So he was looking for his girlfriend.

They really can’t be apart for even a moment, Fang Lixiang said, “No, she isn’t.”

Jiang Zhi said a brief ‘sorry to bother you’ and then hung up. He called Qiao Nanchu next.

“Is your girlfriend there?”

Looking for Wen Baiyang.

Qiao Nanchu: “We don’t live together.”

Jiang Zhi was uninterested in whether they lived together or not, “Is she there or not?”

Qiao Nanchu licked his teeth, “… She’s here.” He had just happened to come over, they weren’t living together!

Jiang Zhi sounded a bit anxious, “Ask her if Zhou Xu has been in touch with her.”

“Look at you, searching for your girlfriend all the way over here with me.”

Jiang Zhi didn’t have free time to chatter with him and immediately hung up the phone.

A while later, Wen Baiyang sent an email over, using Shuangjiang’s email: “Twenty minutes ago, Xu Fang asked me to hack the surveillance on Xiangming Road.”

Xiangming Road was the main thoroughfare to the Luo Family’s residence.

Luo Family.

At the study door, a servant came to relay a message: “Chairman, Mr. Zhou has arrived.”

Luo Huaiyu put aside his work: “Let him in.”

The door was pushed open from the outside; Zhou Qingrang moved slowly, leaning on his cane.

Luo Huaiyu looked up at him and instructed the servant: “Go brew a pot of tea.”

“No need.”

His voice lacked the smoothness of his usual newscasting; it was cold and clear, directed at the servant of the Luo Family: “Please step out for a moment.”

The servant glanced at Luo Huaiyu before leaving and closed the door behind them.

Luo Huaiyu sat on the solid wood chair, his cane with the dragon head beside him, the back of his hand spotted with age: “You’re here because of your sister again, aren’t you?”

If not for Zhou Qingmeng, he wouldn’t have entered the Luo Family’s doors again.

He moved forward, his right leg suffering from an old injury, his left fitted with a prosthetic, his steps uneven: “Is Luo San my sister’s child?”

Luo Huaiyu’s expression changed instantly: “Who told you that?”

He didn’t answer but kept his piercing gaze on Luo Huaiyu and asked again: “Is it?”

Only the Luo Family members and one other person knew this secret.

“Did you see He Xiangxiu?”

Zhou Qingrang answered: “Yes.”

Unable to argue, Luo Huaiyu admitted: “Indeed, she was born of Qing Meng.” He remained calm, without a hint of panic. “Because she was Qing Meng’s child, I kept her within the Luo Family. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have adopted a disabled son.”

He spoke as if he had performed some grand act of charity.

Zhou Qingrang moved forward with a limp. His usually vacant and indifferent eyes shone like the blade of a knife: “Eight years ago, your granddaughter committed arson, your son committed murder, did you know or not?”

He was also investigating this matter.

Luo Huaiyu didn’t directly answer, his composure unchanged: “The case is still under review. It’s too early to draw any conclusions about the truth.”

Still trying to dodge the responsibility.

Zhou Qingrang sneered: “Every movement in the Luo Family is under your watch; how could you possibly be unaware?”

That Luo San would be burned to death was with his tacit approval, and perhaps there was even more to it.

“Qing Rang–”

Zhou Qingrang cut him off: “Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

No sooner than the words hit the ground, a loud bang came from outside the room.

Then someone shouted: “Fire, there’s a fire!”

And there was Xu Yunci’s voice, frantically calling out: “Yinghe!”

“Mom!”

“Mom!”

“The fire started, Yinghe, come down quickly!”

Another bang sounded, likely something in the kitchen exploding. Outside was chaos; the masters and servants of the Luo Family were scrambling to escape, rushing outside with great urgency.

Thick smoke quickly wafted into the study through cracks under the door; all the wires on the wall caught fire, crackling loudly. There was no light in the room except for the flames, which illuminated everything bright as day.

Zhou Qingrang watched the flames rise higher outside the window and laughed: “Luo Huaiyu, your retribution has arrived.”

Luo Huaiyu immediately rose to his feet, leaning on his cane.

But Zhou Qingrang was faster, locking the door from the inside.

Luo Huaiyu’s color drained: “What are you doing?”

His gaze blazed fiercely, reflecting the vast swathes of flames: “Twenty-three years, I’ve lived on just this breath for twenty-three years, waiting for the Luo Family’s retribution. Luo Changde is finished, Luo Qinghe, too.” He looked at Luo Huaiyu, “Only you remain.”

He wanted to perish together…

Luo Huaiyu, leaning on his cane, hurried towards the door and bellowed: “Move aside!”

He didn’t budge an inch, resolute, using his back to block the door: “My sister is gone, Luo San is also dead, and with my body like this, I won’t last long either. So, you might as well die with me.”

He didn’t want to live; he hadn’t wanted to, not since eight years ago.

Better to die, to go beneath and find his sister. His sister was timid, afraid of many things, and she would be scared without someone to accompany her.

“You’re mad!”

Luo Huaiyu was completely off balance.

“Yes, mad.” His hand clutching the doorknob was burned red, thin and knobby from the prominent bones. “Eight years ago, I should have gone mad, should have carried a knife to kill all of the Luo Family. That way, at least Luo San could have lived.”

This man had no intent to live.

Luo Huaiyu shouted toward the outside: “Lao Qi!”

“Open the door!”

“Lao Qi!”

Fire raged outside the glass window, smoke billowed, the room sealed shut, the temperature rising higher and higher.

Zhou Qingrang hobbled forward, the cane in his hand pointing at Luo Huaiyu.

“Zhou Qingrang!”

His eyes were empty, filled only with a desperate decisiveness: “Go down there and apologize to my sister.”