Chapter 21

When I woke up, I felt nothing but cold.

Opening my eyes, I realized I was inside an abandoned chemical plant, surrounded by a pungent smell.

My hands were tied to an iron pillar, the rope was so tight that my wrists were numb, rendering me immobile.

Not far from me, Mr. and Mrs. Ji were also tied to another iron pillar, still unconscious.

In the distance, I saw a blurry figure–it was Zhou Yuming, who was busy assembling something.

Upon hearing my movements, he looked up and smiled at me as he always did.

“Awake now?” His hoarse voice echoed in the empty factory.

“Uncle, why did you tie me up too?” I feigned confusion, deliberately asking.

“The outside world is too dangerous, too tempting. It’s safer here with Uncle,” he teased.

Such mocking words carried a hint of concern.

“Huh.” I was too lazy to pretend, “Zhou Yuming, I’m not really your niece, am I?”

Zhou Yuming was taken aback, a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes but he quickly regained his composure.

He put down what he was holding and slowly walked towards me from the shadows:

“You know everything?”

“The lawyer from back then showed me the files of Zhou Yuli and her husband.”

“I see.” Zhou Yuming nodded lightly, his eyes devoid of any emotion, “You’re indeed not my niece; I don’t have a niece.”

“Then why do I have memories of you, and who are my parents?”

“There’s no harm in telling you now.” Zhou Yuming chuckled, under the dim light his rugged face looked extremely eerie.

“I was once neighbors with your parents, they often entrusted me to look after you when they went out for work, and you used to call me uncle.

“Later, I received news of my sister’s accident, went to her city, and ended up with only 2000 yuan, and a broken leg.

“On my way back, at the train station, I saw you lying in the arms of a strange middle-aged woman, sleeping soundly.

“That woman was a human trafficker, I spent 2000 yuan to buy you from her.

“That 2000 yuan was well spent! Hahaha!

“Thanks to you, the misdeeds of Ji Group have been exposed, and the lawyer from back then has turned himself in, you’re truly my good niece!”

“If that’s the case, why haven’t you stopped?” I questioned.

Zhou Yuming’s smile froze, hatred ignited in his eyes instantly: “Stop? Why should I stop! They killed my sister, I want them to pay with their lives!”

“Why? They will face legal punishment! The law will bring justice for you! Doing this, it’s not worth it!”

Zhou Yuming’s smile completely vanished, hatred was evident on his face: “The law? They’ll hire the best lawyers, at most get sentenced for a few years, pay some more money, and their sentence will be reduced, then they’ll continue enjoying life!

“Now, they can even flee abroad immediately, and continue living lavishly overseas.

“My sister’s life is only worth a few years of theirs, why!” he roared.

I couldn’t refute, but still wanted to persuade him: “But doing this, you’ll also pay a price.”

“What does it matter if I pay a price!” Zhou Yuming’s expression grew more ferocious, as if all his anger found an outlet in hatred at this moment, “I’ve endured humiliation for so many years, just for this moment!

“Back then, I was as naive as you, finding evidence, exposing them, fantasizing about making them pay the deserved price. But the world isn’t that simple! Even if exposed, they’ll only suffer temporarily, after the hype dies down, they’ll continue their tyranny!

“Delayed justice is worthless!

“I have no time left, might as well take this chance to kill them directly!” Zhou Yuming snarled viciously, the madness in his eyes deepening, “Thanks to you, constantly providing me their whereabouts, I was able to succeed.”

Just then, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out beside me: “Ji Shan! How could we raise such an ungrateful wretch!”

At some point, Mr. and Mrs. Ji had also woken up, glaring at me with wide eyes.

“Ungrateful wretch, you flatter me.” I turned my head, looking at them coldly, “I’m nothing but a pig you raised for slaughter.”

“Ji Shan, we raised you, no matter what, we are your benefactors, how could you repay kindness with enmity!” Ji Chaoyou finally spoke, his tone full of shock and disbelief.

I laughed coldly, as if hearing the most absurd joke in the world: “Haha, I treated you as parents, did you ever treat me as a daughter? Sending me to others’ beds, is that kindness?”

Mrs. Ji’s face gradually turned pale upon hearing this, her mouth trembled, but she couldn’t utter a word.

“What a show!” Zhou Yuming clapped beside us, the applause sounded particularly piercing in the empty factory, “Ji Chaoyou, your evil deeds have made even your adopted daughter loathe you.”

Suddenly, a slight disturbance sounded outside the chemical plant.

Zhou Yuming snapped back to reality, alertly scanning around, then without hesitation tore off the tape, sealing Mr. and Mrs. Ji’s mouths with it.

Next, he untied me from the pillar, pressed a knife to my neck, and pushed me towards the factory’s entrance.

In the distance, Ji Ming approached us alone, bathed in moonlight.

“Ji Ming, I told you to come alone! You’ve broken the agreement!”

Zhou Yuming held me tightly, shouting at Ji Ming who was gradually approaching.

My eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, and only then did I notice the sniper lurking atop the distant buildings and amidst the trees.

Zhou Yuming had clearly spotted them as well. He forcefully dragged me deeper into the factory, avoiding the sniper’s line of sight.

“If you dare make a move, I’ll kill her first!”

The blade pressed even tighter, its sharp edge piercing my skin. The sting spread instantly as blood slowly trickled down my neck.

Ji Ming’s expression finally changed, and he said anxiously, “Alright, I won’t move! Don’t hurt her. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!”

“I don’t really want anything, but there is something I want to do.” A vicious glint flashed across Zhou Yuming’s face. “You–kneel!”

At these words, Mr. and Mrs. Ji behind us shook their heads desperately, trying to stop Ji Ming from giving in.

Though their mouths were sealed with tape, it didn’t stop the whimpers from escaping their throats.

Zhou Yuming glared impatiently at Mr. and Mrs. Ji, and the blade bit deeper into my skin.

Agonizing pain came with the rush of blood, soaking my black sweatshirt in an instant.

“Alright.”

With a dull thud, Ji Ming immediately dropped to his knees.

He lowered his head, fists clenched tightly.

Pain blurred my vision, and I couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness.

The moment Ji Ming knelt, Mr. and Mrs. Ji struggled even harder behind him, their bodies twisting, the whimpers in their throats becoming more and more heartrending.

Suddenly, Zhou Yuming threw his head back and laughed wildly: “Hahahahaha! I’ve waited so long for this moment!

“Ji Chaoyou, do you remember what you said back then, when I knelt before you begging you to save my little sister?

“You said: ‘To beg like this, isn’t it because you’ve got some other thoughts about your sister?’

“Ji Chaoyou, look now–your son is kneeling for his sister in front of me! Tell me, doesn’t he have a bit of those same thoughts? Hahahahahaha!”

He laughed almost madly, his voice echoing through the abandoned factory.

“Oh, his kneeling just reminded me.” Zhou Yuming leaned close to my ear, his voice low so only I could hear, “I heard that the ransom for your kidnapping back then was also begged for by him, kneeling all night in the study.”

My heart clenched violently, and my gaze involuntarily fell on Ji Ming.

Ji Ming lifted his head, his eyes steady and calm, meeting mine. His lips moved slightly.

He was saying, “Don’t be afraid.”

“That kidnapping back then, to be honest, at the time I thought if I couldn’t get the ransom, I’d just send you back to your biological parents. But I didn’t expect Ji Ming would actually bring two million to ransom you, hahahahaha.” Zhou Yuming’s laughter grew more frenzied by my ear. “Blame him if you must–he’s the one who saved you. If not for him, you’d have already reunited with your real parents.”

I didn’t know when my tears had started to fall, soaking the tape over my mouth.

Countless emotions surged inside me, but I couldn’t speak, nor did I know what to say.

My chest felt so tight, as if something was about to burst out.

“I’ve waited eighteen years for this moment.” Zhou Yuming’s voice suddenly rose, “I’ve endured and schemed for so many years, all for this moment–hahahahaha!”

A sharp “bang” cut through his laughter.

Suddenly, the pressure on my neck vanished. I looked down and saw that a bullet had struck Zhou Yuming’s knife-wielding arm, and the blade hit the ground.

Yet, his other hand still gripped my shoulder with a deathly force.

“Ji Ming! If you keep this up, we’re all going to die together!” Zhou Yuming cried out in pain, but his voice remained clear and powerful.

Sweat rolled down his forehead, dropping to the floor with each word.

Enduring the agony, he struggled to ignite a lighter with his bullet-riddled arm.

A tiny flame instantly illuminated the large and small barrels around us.

“Was it too dark just now? Couldn’t see where you were?” Zhou Yuming sneered.

I shifted my foot slightly, only to find the ground beneath me sticky and slick.

Looking down, I saw a film of oily liquid glistening at my feet.

Ji Ming’s pupils contracted sharply.

But before he could react, another gunshot rang out.

“Don’t shoot!” Ji Ming shouted.

But the bullet still found its mark, hitting Zhou Yuming’s other arm with chilling precision.

The lighter slipped from his grasp and fell into the gasoline at our feet. Flames erupted instantly.

In that moment when the fire roared up, I heard two shouts of “Run!”

One from afar, one close by.

One high and one low.

“Run.”

The distant and the near voices overlapped, accompanied by a strong force behind me that shoved me out.

Ji Ming sprang up, grabbed me, and dragged me tightly as we sprinted for the exit.

Flames roared behind us, lighting up the entire factory.

We ran for our lives, the heat of the blaze drawing ever closer.

But suddenly, something dawned on me, and I halted abruptly.

I broke free from Ji Ming’s grip, turning and charging back toward the heart of the flames.

My parents!

He knows where my parents are!

Only Zhou Yuming knows where my parents are!

Only he knows who I am!

He can’t die!

But I was still too late.

A deafening explosion tore through the air, and the powerful shockwave flung me to the ground.

A sharp ringing pierced my ears, and darkness swallowed my sight.