Chapter 47: The Beginning of a Tragedy

For the entire afternoon, Zhuo Nan led Xia Qianrou around like headless flies, hoping to catch a glimpse of Zhao Jiawen in the crowd. Zhuo Nan had even activated his super-brain, scanning brainwaves within an eight-kilometer radius to filter for any information related to her.

Xia Qianrou watched as the seven or eight young thugs accompanying them politely asked passersby for news of Zhao Jiawen. She found it somewhat absurd; these thugs had no reason to help for nothing. Although she didn’t know the truth, she suspected it had something to do with Zhuo Nan. After all, if Zhuo Nan could be like brothers with the police chief, who was to say he wasn't also close with underworld bosses? She simply couldn't fathom this student of hers.

Just then, Zhuo Nan’s phone rang. He pulled it out to see Long Kun calling. He guessed there might be a breakthrough, and sure enough, Long Kun said urgently, "Brother Nan, a suspicious character has appeared at Hu Li’s place. He might be connected to Zhao Jiawen."

With the situation in chaos, Zhuo Nan had to follow every lead. "Pick me up immediately," he commanded. "I’m waiting at the intersection of Bali Street. We’ll go there together."

"Bali Street? I’m nearby. I’ll be there in a flash," Long Kun confirmed before hanging up.

After putting the phone away, Xia Qianrou immediately asked, "Is it about Zhao Jiawen?"

Zhuo Nan nodded, his expression calm. "Yes. A friend of mine may have found a clue. He’s coming to pick us up."

Xia Qianrou nodded, pressing her hands together in a prayer. "God help us find Jiawen this time."

Usually, Zhuo Nan would have teased her, saying that one must rely on oneself and that God was useless, but he held his tongue. In his heart, he too hoped that heaven would show mercy and keep Zhao Jiawen safe.

About two minutes later, Long Kun’s black Mercedes pulled up. Xia Qianrou was stunned; the car was far too luxurious. Zhuo Nan pulled her into the vehicle. Long Kun glanced at her in the rearview mirror and blinked, thinking to himself, *Brother Nan is truly something. He’s out looking for one girl and already has another in tow.*

Noticing Long Kun’s suggestive expression, Zhuo Nan spoke up. "Teacher Xia, let me introduce you. This is my friend, Brother Kun." At the introduction, Long Kun grinned at the mirror, baring his teeth. The sight was so terrifying that it nearly scared the life out of Xia Qianrou.

*Why does his friend look so menacing?* she wondered. Long Kun quickly suppressed his smile and turned professional. "Brother Nan, Hu Li mentioned that a man from out of town, covered in tattoos, showed up at his establishment. He felt this person might be related to Zhao Jiawen, so he tipped me off."

Zhuo Nan nodded. "Don't dwell on it for now. Let’s get there first. We can’t afford to miss any possibility."

Long Kun stepped on the gas, heading toward the East District.

Xia Qianrou felt a sense of bewilderment. She could see that this ugly man driving the Mercedes was incredibly respectful toward Zhuo Nan, acting as if he didn't dare overstep his bounds. They looked like characters from a gangster movie, but with a twist: the one who looked like a lackey was actually the boss, and the one who should have been the boss was acting as the subordinate.

She cast an inquisitive look at Zhuo Nan. He caught her gaze, sighed, and said, "Fine, I’ll admit it. This is Long Kun, the man the public calls the number one underworld boss of Deqing."

At the mention of "number one underworld boss," Long Kun visibly straightened his posture, puffing out his chest in front of the beautiful teacher.

Xia Qianrou was shocked. She never expected this fierce-looking man to be the notorious Long Kun. If he was so submissive to Zhuo Nan, could it be that Zhuo Nan was his leader? It was impossible—absolutely impossible.

But Zhuo Nan’s next words shattered her disbelief. "Teacher Xia, whatever I tell you must not go any further. In reality, I am Long Kun’s boss, and I am the true number one of the Deqing underworld."

Xia Qianrou saw a flash of light in Zhuo Nan’s eyes—an expression of confidence, of someone who looked down upon all things. How could he have such a mindset? Just because he was a gang leader? She shifted her seat away, feeling a sudden fear. She had always thought of him as an ordinary student; even if he was a bit unique, she had never linked him to the underworld. For a moment, the boy with the sunny smile sitting before her felt like a total stranger, despite knowing his name and his family background.

*Do I really know him?* she asked herself. The answer was no—not at all. She had been deceived.

Sensing her shift in mood, Zhuo Nan sighed softly. "Teacher Xia, you don’t need to be afraid. I won’t hurt you. If I wanted to, you wouldn't be sitting safely by my side right now."

His words were filled with an imposing authority that made them impossible to doubt. Xia Qianrou realized that if Zhuo Nan gave the word, the man in front would kill her without hesitation—perhaps even worse.

She felt a strange pang of confusion. Why was she thinking of such things? Was she a depraved woman? Or was she simply craving that kind of intimacy? She recalled the scene at her home when Zhuo Nan had pinned her down. Though she had resisted, she felt a hollow ache when he left. It was then she realized that for all these years, she had truly needed a man to love and cherish her.

"Zhuo Nan..." she whispered, looking at him with deep, lingering affection. In that moment, he saw no trace of the stern teacher in her eyes, only tenderness, concern, and warmth.

Just like at her home, Zhuo Nan longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her, regardless of societal judgment or their roles. But this time, he didn't. He didn't know if this was her true intent, and he wasn't low enough to use his super-brain to probe her thoughts. Some things, he decided, were better left to unfold naturally.

Meeting her gaze, Zhuo Nan looked at her questioningly. Xia Qianrou said softly, "Whoever you are, I only hope you remain my student—the student I value most."

Zhuo Nan was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter, knowing smile. Xia Qianrou still couldn't break free from her internal shackles.

He closed his eyes and leaned back, feigning exhaustion. In reality, he had already activated his super-brain to search for the information Long Kun had mentioned, now that they were within the range of the East District.

Seeing that Zhuo Nan had stopped speaking, Xia Qianrou sighed and turned her head to stare out the window.

A set of images began to stream into Zhuo Nan’s mind. Even with his eyes closed, he received them clearly. He saw a man covered in tattoos—everywhere, even in places he didn't want to look.

Hearing a small sound from Zhuo Nan’s throat, Xia Qianrou glanced back. Seeing him still with his eyes shut, she didn't disturb him, thinking he had fallen asleep. She smiled behind her hand, but then noticed the tent-like bulge in Zhuo Nan’s trousers. Her face flushed a deep crimson, and she cursed silently, "Stupid boy, can't even sleep without thinking of filth."

Fortunately, Brother Nan hadn't forgotten his mission. *Damn it, I'm here for business, not to be a voyeur,* he chided himself. He quickly commanded his super-brain to breach the tattooed man’s mind and extract information regarding Zhao Jiawen.

A new set of images appeared. It was late in the day. Zhao Jiawen was sitting by the river in Yuehai Park, dipping her feet in the water and kicking at the surface. She looked angry, muttering, "Stupid Zhuo Nan, rotten Zhuo Nan..." Zhuo Nan couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, two men appeared in the frame, one of them the tattooed man. He held a sack. They crept up behind Zhao Jiawen, who was completely unaware. The man beside the tattooed one pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it over her mouth. She went limp, and they stuffed her into the sack, threw her into a waiting car, and sped away.

The car drove to the outskirts of the city, where the two men got out and walked three or four kilometers along a small path to an abandoned warehouse. Having seen this, Zhuo Nan knew exactly where she was. He shut down the mental scan. He couldn't reveal her location yet, or he would raise suspicions. He had to capture the tattooed man first and interrogate him.

Not by handing him to the police—they would never get the truth. Underworld matters had to be solved in the underworld way. A thousand ways to torment the man raced through Zhuo Nan’s mind; he would make them pay back double whatever they had done to Zhao Jiawen.