TL: Moonlit
With Lin Hanchuanâs understanding of Jiang Luo, he knew that this man wasnât actually stupid. In the past, he had been able to mistreat Jiang Tian without restraint due to the various pressures adults had on children, using his position of power to bully the child.
Many abusers appear to be amiable and charming in public, but reveal their true nature only at home. Jiang Luo was no exception. His reputation was poor among his neighbors, but among his group of friends, he was seen as a loyal and righteous man. He usually avoided provoking people he shouldnât mess with.
However, people like him were cunning, cruel, and selfish, hiding their true nature behind a façade. In reality, they were the most cowardly and timid, only daring to prey on the weaker ones. Now, facing the high-profile wanted status, Jiang Luo was already in a panic.
The only reason he managed to hold on without completely breaking down was that he still had one last straw to cling to.
Lin Hanchuan gave detailed instructions to Agent 001, ensuring that Jiang Luo wouldnât escape unscathed under Zhou Yuntangâs protection. He wanted Jiang Luo to take responsibility for Jiang Tianâs life.
As Lin Hanchuan had guessed, during the first few days of hiding in the suburbs, Jiang Luo had been relatively obedient. He didnât go out or do anything reckless. Whenever he needed something, he would tell Zhou Yuntang, who would purchase it on his behalf. Jiang Luo didnât even shop online to avoid revealing his location.
However, after about a week of such life, Jiang Luo couldnât bear it anymore.
The old Jiang Luo used to drink heavily, smoke, and gamble every day. He would go out to play cards and bet money whenever he had the chance. Only when he ran out of money would he find some manual labor or steal to get by.
Now, with a large sum of money on him and nowhere to spend it, Jiang Luo was getting restless.
His old phone had been lost, and he had replaced the SIM card with a new one. He wondered if this brand-new smartphone could see through his true nature, as all the push notifications seemed to hit a nerve with him.
Initially, he received news about human traffickers sentenced to the death penalty, followed by stories of criminals who committed crimes in China and escaped abroad to evade the law. In the past two days, there were even some illegal gambling websites mixed in.
âAnyway⦠I canât go out, and I have nothing else to do.â After seeing that website for the fifth time, Jiang Luo couldnât resist any longer and clicked on it.
To his surprise, Jiang Luo, who had always had mediocre gambling skills and luck, was winning in the beginning. This once gloomy and reclusive man suddenly became excited, and he started betting larger amounts.
Until the system told him that his balance was insufficient, his feverish mind cleared up a bit. It was then that Jiang Luo realized he had run out of luck. Not only did he lose all the money he won, but he even lost the 50,000 Yuan that Zhou Yuntang had given him.
âItâs just bad luck. Otherwise, I would have definitely doubled it.â No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Jiang Luoâs frustration and excitement were evident in his red eyes. âIf you let me play one more round, Iâll definitely turn things around!â
Once again, Zhou Yuntang received a text from Jiang Luo asking for money. He furrowed his brow slightly but didnât pay much attention as he sent another 50,000 Yuan. Though Jiang Luoâs requests for money were becoming frequent, 50,000 Yuan was still a small sum for him and hardly worth mentioning.
However, the frequency at which Jiang Luo asked for money was too much, wasnât it? Zhou Yuntang scrolled through the transaction records and finally noticed something amiss. In just three or four days, he had sent over more than 200,000 Yuan.
Although 200,000 Yuan was not a small sum, it was far more than what was needed for daily expenses. Especially considering that Jiang Luo rarely left the house, where could all this money be going?
Doubts arose in Zhou Yuntangâs mind, and he couldnât turn a blind eye any longer. Without informing anyone in the Zhou family, he discreetly slipped out of the house.
Like Zhou Yuntang, Zhou Zhengqing, the second son of the Zhou family, had also been feeling down lately due to losing countless fans and facing criticism of his acting skills from netizens. He had been holed up in his room, but today, he finally managed to adjust his mood and stepped out. As soon as he left the room, he saw Zhou Yuntang sneaking out, and he secretly followed him, worried that someone outside might harm Zhou Yuntang.
After all, no matter how they argued, Zhou Zhengqing regarded Zhou Yuntang as his real brother. He attributed their recent conflicts to their bad moods and didnât dwell on them.
Zhou Yuntang didnât use the familyâs driver and instead took a taxi to the outskirts.
The house where Jiang Luo lived was one he found on his own, and he had paid three times the market price to live there without any identity verification. The landlord was only interested in the money and didnât think much about it.
Since the day he brought Jiang Luo here, Zhou Yuntang hadnât visited this place again. This was only his second time here.
The surroundings were as desolate as ever, with garbage scattered around the corners of the building. Zhou Yuntang covered his nose, stood in front of this two-story small house, and hesitated to knock on the door. Instead, he called Jiang Luo.
After a while, Jiang Luo finally answered the phone.
âDad, I came to see you. Iâm already downstairs. Can you open the door for me?â Due to his usual habits, Zhou Yuntang subconsciously used a sweet and gentle tone when speaking to someone he liked. Only in front of those who disliked him would he not bother with any pretenses.
Jiang Luo didnât even hear what he said; he simply replied with a perfunctory âMhm.â
Frowning, Zhou Yuntang repeated his request, and only then did Jiang Luo suddenly react and hurriedly ran to open the door.
From a distance, Zhou Zhengqing, who had followed Zhou Yuntang, didnât understand why Zhou Yuntang had come here. It was only when he saw someone opening the door for Zhou Yuntang that he suddenly realized who the person was!
The scum who swapped the two children â Zhou Yuntangâs biological father⦠Zhou Zhengqingâs mind was buzzing, unable to comprehend why Zhou Yuntang would come to meet this wanted man.
Wasnât Jiang Luo under a wanted status? Zhou Zhengqing could treat Zhou Yuntang like a real brother, but he couldnât accept any association between Zhou Yuntang and this scum. It wasnât because of his affection for his biological brother, Jiang Tian, or anything like that. He simply despised Jiang Luoâs character and was worried that the cute and gentle âSugarâ might learn bad behavior or become closer to his biological father out of a sense of blood connection.
Sitting in the car, Zhou Jiayou lit a cigarette, suddenly unsure of what to do.
âYouâre gambling?!â As soon as Zhou Yuntang entered the room, he noticed that Jiang Luo was talking to him while playing cards. At first, he didnât see anything wrong, but then Jiang Luo, right in front of him, topped up 20,000 Yuan in chips.
Jiang Luo didnât care about Zhou Yuntangâs shock and casually retorted, âIâm just bored, playing around for a while.â
Zhou Yuntang was already regretting why he had come near this scum, and he asked, âYou spent all the money I gave you on this?â
âItâs just a few tens of thousands. Besides, youâre so rich,â Jiang Luo replied arrogantly.
To him, the money he never had in his hands was just a string of numbers, especially since he obtained it so effortlessly. Jiang Luo didnât feel the slightest bit of remorse. He was overjoyed that his spur-of-the-moment decision to send his biological son to a wealthy family had secured his future.
He could still enjoy the life of a wealthy person for a few more days before it all ended, and Jiang Luo felt extremely satisfied.
Zhou Yuntang took a deep breath. He had seen and heard about many things in the Zhou family, including things most ordinary people hadnât. He knew that even a rich second-generation like Jiang Luo could ruin the familyâs wealth due to gambling addiction. He couldnât believe that Jiang Luo could overcome his desires.
With a cold expression, Zhou Yuntang shed his previous soft and harmless exterior, his demeanor now resembling his elder brotherâs. âI wonât give you money anymore,â he said firmly.
Jiang Luo paused for a moment, looking up at Zhou Yuntang.
âWe shouldnât have any further contact. Take care of yourself,â Zhou Yuntang said, turning to leave.
Jiang Luo acted quickly, blocking Zhou Yuntangâs way. His expression was no longer the gentle and loving one from a few days ago, but filled with a dark and malevolent aura. âI went to great lengths to send you to a wealthy family. Do you think your current life of luxury came from nowhere? Itâs because of me!â
âI gave you your life, and I gave you this good life. Now that Iâm facing problems, you want to abandon me? You think youâre the young master of the Zhou family, but youâre my seed, and Iâm your father!â
Although Zhou Yuntang was nearly as tall as Jiang Luo, he hadnât exercised regularly, and his body was far weaker than the depleted physique of Jiang Luo. As Jiang Luo firmly grasped his shoulder, Zhou Yuntang couldnât move and felt panicked. âDad, you said you loved me!â
âOf course, I love you,â Jiang Luo forced a smile, but it looked even more sinister and wicked. No one could imagine that he used to be a handsome young man. Years later, he had turned into a devil emerging from hell.
âDad, let go of me, and Iâll give you money when I get back.â Realizing that the situation was unfavorable, Zhou Yuntang immediately softened his tone, using the same voice that others had always liked, begging for mercy. âDad, I was wrong; youâre hurting me.â
The devil grinned, showing his teeth. âDonât think I donât know; once you get back, youâll get rid of me. Let me tell you, thatâs not happening.â
Saying this, Jiang Luo didnât hesitate and punched Zhou Yuntang, knocking him to the ground. He then casually grabbed his belt and tied Zhou Yuntangâs hands, suspending him from a nearby cabinet.
Zhou Yuntang was completely dazed. He never expected to be struck. With just one blow to his temple, his head was buzzing, and his body became weak and powerless.
Feeling Jiang Luo skillfully tying him up, Zhou Yuntang suddenly had a thought: Is this the technique he practiced on Jiang Tian?
In the news, there were witnesses who said that Jiang Luo was incredibly cruel to children. To prevent them from escaping, he would tie them to trees and beat them.
Although Zhou Zhengqing was mentally prepared to take Zhou Yuntang away, he saw his beloved brother being beaten through the window after entering. Fuming with anger, he kicked the door and yelled, âScum! Let go of my brother!â
With his eyes burning red, Jiang Luo turned around and looked at his surroundings. He walked to the balcony, grabbed a flowerpot, and forcefully opened the door. Before Zhou Zhengqing could react, Jiang Luo suddenly smashed the flowerpot on his head.
His actions were steady, precise, and ruthless, displaying a terrifying level of proficiency.
âSecond brother!â Zhou Yuntang shouted loudly, his struggling movements shaking the somewhat unstable cabinet, causing it to creak.
âZhou family?â Jiang Luo wiped off the few drops of blood from his hand on Zhou Zhengqingâs expensive clothes. He pinched the manâs face and looked at him, saying, âI know you. Youâre that⦠TV star.â
Zhou Zhengqingâs head throbbed with pain, and he could only manage to open his eyes slightly, seeing the greedy expression on the other manâs face.
âEven if my brat is not worth much, and you donât want him, with your status, they can still pay for his ransom, right? I wonder if one million will be enoughâ¦â
Zhou Zhengqing found it absurd that someone would smash his head for a mere one million. His face was worth tens of millions, yet this vulgar scum treated one million as if it were a huge sum.
For him, any problem that money could solve was not a problem at all. Zhou Zhengqing gave Zhou Yuntang a faint smile, trying to comfort him, saying that everything would be fine, and not to be afraid, as the family would soon come to save them with money.