428 In Your Blood

HongKong, January 13

*BOOM*

A fist of orange flame punched its way out of the building as the loud explosion shook the whole place. Hoarse screams of people followed the smoke and fire rushing out of the establishment.

\"You are dead.\" Zhou Jingren said coldly. \"From now on… you are dead.\" He added as he stared at the black smoke rising from the building a few blocks away from them.

\"How did you know?\" Zhou Jingtao's voice was trembling as he tried his best to prevent his hands from shaking. \"How did you know that he will try to kill me?\"

\"It was Lily.\" Zhou Jingren responded as he gestured his driver to leave this place. \"Your brother wanted to frame me and use the resources that you have gained for years. You can easily tell once you think about it.\"

\"That — That can't be.\" Zhou Jingtao shook his head. \"How could he do that to our company? Father would not allow him to do that.\"

\"Are you sure about that?\" Zhou Jingren gave him a knowing smile.

\"I —\" Zhou Jingtao lowered his head. His mind in shambles as he recalled Zhou Jingren's orders on his phone. Without it, he would have been in the restaurant when it blew up. Just the thought of it made him shiver. How could his own brother do this to him? \"Are you sure it was my brother?\"

\"No.\" Zhou Jingren answered. \"But we will know soon.\"

\"What do you mean?\" he asked. \"How could you just…\"

\"I saved you.\" Zhou Jingren's words rendered him speechless. \"You should be thankful.\"

\"I… I am grateful.\" Zhou Jingtao sighed. \"But how could you say that it was my brother who did this?\" Zhou Jingtao found it hard to believe that Zhou Kang wanted him dead. How could his own brother kill him?

\"Are you trying to ask me? Or yourself?\" Zhou Jingren shifted his gaze away from the man beside him. His words earned a sigh from Zhou Jingtao. In fact, Zhou Jingren was right. He was not asking him, instead, he was trying to ask himself. Deep inside, Zhou Jingtao already knew the answer. Yet, he was still waiting for Zhou Jingren to confirm his suspicion. It was as if the truth would hurt less if it came from Zhou Jingren's mouth. He scoffed at his thoughts.

\"My Son…\"

\"Was about to betray you.\" Zhou Jingren handed him a folder. \"He had been meeting investors behind your back. Asking them to kick you out. He had been giving them favors so he would vote for them… and by favors, I mean… Illegal ones.\"

\"That —\" Zhou Jingtao's eyes widened at the images inside the folder. It was his son, Zhou Huifang meeting investors and even board of directors. \"How could he…\"

\"Your good brother asked him to. I mean… he is pretty stupid, to begin with. It would be very easy to manipulate him. To be honest, I am not surprised that he did this to you.\"

Zhou Jingtao frowned as he thought of his own son betraying him.

\"This should not surprise you.\" Zhou Jingren said. \"Your father betrayed his own brother. Your brother betrayed you. Now your son… It runs in your blood.\"

\"Stop mocking me.\" Zhou Jingtao hissed, anger apparent in his eyes.

Zhou Jingren pursed his lips in response as he opened his laptop. He then browsed at the latest news.

\"Why are you doing this?\" Zhou Jingtao asked.

\"What do you mean?\"

\"This… why save me? Why hold my daughter hostage? Why the fuck are you trying to destroy us?\" His questions earned a look of amusement from Zhou Jingren. \"Stop looking at me as if I am a clown!\" Zhou Jingtao gritted his teeth. While he does not have enough proof that his brother was really intending on killing him, he also knew that he was very capable of doing this. This reality made him rage. How unlucky is he to be born in a family like this?

\"You should already know the answer to your questions.\"

\"We did not kill Lily!\"

\"And?\" Zhou Jingren raised an eyebrow.

\"And…\" Zhou Jingtao wanted to continue arguing. He wanted to say something, tell him his reasons. However, he knew that truth. He knew why Zhou Jingren is doing this and this… this has nothing to do with Lily.

\"There you go.\" Zhou Jingren continued. \"Your daughter was the one who dragged my wife out of the building. Without her… Lily would not have…\"

\"Why are you blaming her for something like this?\" How could it be his daughter's fault?

\"Because I can.\"

Zhou Jingren's nonchalant answer only made him more infuriated. Zhou Jingtao swallowed the blood in his throat as he glared at the next to him. Because he can? Just what kind of answer is that? How could this man speak like a child? He stared at Zhou Jingren's side profile as he weighed the words that he was about to say.

In the end, Zhou Jingtao said nothing. He was not innocent. He was not entitled to any good treatment or any explanations. He was lucky that Zhou Jingren saved him. Of course, he knew that this would come with a price. \"Are you going to kill us?\" Zhou Jingtao asked. This question had been bugging him since he received Zhou Jingren's message. Is he going to kill them, then frame Zhou Kang in the process? What if Zhou Jingren just wanted to use them as well?

\"Do you have what I asked?\"

\"The list?\" Zhou Jingtao confirmed. \"I am not giving it to you unless you promise that you will not kill my daughter… You can kill me… but my daughter is innocent. She still has a chance of having a good life. She is a good woman.\"

\"My… That was really touching.\" Zhou Jingren looked at him. \"If I didn't know what you did to your son, I would have easily given you a plaque for being the best father.\"

It was as if his throat died up as he heard Zhou Jingren's words. He stared at him yet, he could not maintain eye contact. In a few seconds, he lowered his gaze and sigh. \"That was a mistake.\"

\"Well… You did nothing to stop it.\" Zhou Jingren shifted his body towards Zhou Jingtao, a sinister smile plastered on his face. \"You did not kill your child, yet you did nothing to stop it. Zhou Jingtao… just what kind of father are you?\"