Chapter 5: Escape
Qin Wan walked over to the beautiful vase, which was more than half the height of a person.
He glanced at the wine cabinet next to the vase.
The next second, he reached out and pushed hard.
The massive vase crashed down toward the glass wine cabinet beside it.
CLANG—
CRASH—
The luxury suite had Persian long-pile carpet on the floor.
It absorbed the sound of anything falling on it very well.
Only by using the vase to smash the wine cabinet could he create the maximum amount of noise.
Qin Wan grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray from the coffee table and hid behind the entryway near the door.
Sure enough, a moment later, the door opened.
The burly bodyguard in black ran in frantically.
Without a word, Qin Wan raised the ashtray and smashed it down on the back of the bodyguard’s head.
With a muffled groan, the big man swayed twice, rolled his eyes back, and then collapsed heavily onto the floor.
Qin Wan let out a long breath.
He had been bullied too hard last night, and adding the fever, he had no strength at all; just hitting someone felt like it exceeded his ability.
He threw the ashtray on the ground and stumbled to the door.
Checking that the corridor was empty, he held onto the wall and walked with difficulty to the elevator hall.
Gu Xinglan opened his phone while driving and pulled up the internal surveillance feed of the presidential suite he had just left.
He had secretly installed surveillance cameras in all the rooms on this floor.
Usually, when hosting business and political dignitaries or partners, he would arrange for them to stay on this floor.
Through surveillance, he had caught hold of many people’s leverage.
At this moment, under the lens, how Qin Wan plotted to push the vase to smash the wine cabinet, and how he took down his bodyguard, was clearly visible.
Gu Xinglan’s handsome brows furrowed slightly.
But the corners of his lips curved into an arc.
His amber eyes were dyed with a smile of unclear meaning.
He knew Qin Wan would try to escape.
But he hadn’t expected him to escape less than half an hour after he left.
He thought Qin Wan would struggle to circle around the bodyguard outside the door to find an opportunity.
He didn’t expect him to set a small trap and use such violent means to solve the problem simply and crudely.
Heh, this little liar really is interesting.
The scene of that encounter seven years ago involuntarily floated before his eyes again.
That little boy, the pitiable look in his beautiful eyes.
It overlapped with the look in Qin Wan’s eyes as he begged bitterly beneath him last night.
Gu Xinglan pursed his lips, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.
He exited the surveillance feed and dialed a number.
“The person escaped. Follow him. Don’t expose yourself; see where he goes and what he does.”
Hanging up the phone, he increased his speed, heading straight for the Imperial Capital St. Ann Private Hospital.
He walked into the VIP special care single ward.
At this moment, three people were sitting on the chairs.
Seeing Gu Xinglan walk in, the expressions of all three changed slightly.
“Little Seven, have you got a result from interrogating that little thief last night?” Gu Jun, the Second Uncle of the Gu family, asked coldly.
Gu Xinglan’s gaze passed over the three people, landing on Old Master Gu’s face on the hospital bed.
The old man’s face was dark and gloomy, resembling deathly ashes.
“What did the doctor say?” He answered with a question, his voice characteristically devoid of emotion.
“The doctor said the situation isn’t optimistic,” said Gu Xinglin, who was beside Gu Jun.
“Ah-Lan, don’t you think Grandpa getting hit was too much of a coincidence?” Fourth Cousin Gu Xinglin’s tone was heavy and cold.
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses: “The time is a coincidence, the place is a coincidence, and the person is a coincidence.”
Gu Xinglan glanced lazily at Gu Xinglin.
Unhurriedly, he sat down on a chair.
“So since you said it’s all a coincidence, what else do you want to ask?” His voice carried a mocking tone.
“Little Seven, we want to have a proper talk with you. What is this attitude?” The one speaking with a dignified face was the Eldest Uncle of the Gu family, Gu Cheng.
Gu Xinglan’s lips pulled into a scornful smile.
“Mn, I thought you were here to serve at the Old Master’s bedside and fulfill your filial piety. Turns out you were waiting specifically in the ward to negotiate with me.”
Following his words, his face turned cold.
“What, planning to hold a three-way tribunal?”
The smile hanging on his lips just a moment ago vanished.
At this moment, on his absolutely beautiful face, the expression was a chilling sharpness.
The air pressure in the room dropped rapidly.
Grand Island Blue Bay was managed by Gu Xinglan. For such an incident to happen on his turf naturally aroused suspicion.
Add to that the rumors that Old Master Gu had retreated to the second line to observe his grandsons for over a year and was preparing to formally hand over power.
It was said his favorite was the fourth grandson, Gu Xinglin.
And Gu Xinglin’s biggest competitor, Gu Xinglan, wasn’t without a motive to harm the Old Master at this crucial juncture.
Gu Xinglan knew this perfectly well.
Gu Xinglin gave a dry laugh: “Ah-Lan, you misunderstand. We’re just asking; we don’t mean to accuse you.”
“It’s best if you don’t have that meaning,” Gu Xinglan said coldly.
“You also know that this layer of ‘face’ between us is crumbling and vulnerable.”
“Once the face is torn, I’m not entirely sure myself what kind of things I might do.”
As he spoke, crossing his long legs, his gaze slowly swept across the three faces.
All three fell silent, clearly apprehensive.
Just then, Old Master Gu on the bed groaned and exhaled a breath.
Gu Cheng and Gu Jun quickly stood up and walked to the bed.
“Dad, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Dad, we’re all here!”
Old Master Gu nodded slightly.
Gu Xinglin also walked over.
“Grandpa!”
The old man raised his hand, trembling, and Gu Xinglin quickly grasped it.
“Grandpa, do you have something to say?” he asked.
At this moment, Gu Xinglan walked to the bedside.
He looked down at the withered old man on the bed.
His handsome face took on a gentle smile again: “Grandpa, there’s an important matter I need to tell you alone. Right now.”
Gu Jun frowned: “What matter do you need to hide from us?”
Gu Cheng: “Yes, what words need to be kept secret?”
Gu Xinglan ignored his two uncles, only smiling and looking at Old Man Gu.
Old Man Gu let out a deep breath, releasing Gu Xinglin’s hand: “You all… go out first. I’ll speak… with Little Seven…”
The three looked at each other. Although unwilling, they could only comply.
Fortunately, St. Ann Hospital was a Gu property, and this ward had surveillance in every corner.
They believed Gu Xinglan wouldn’t be insane enough to openly make a move on the Old Master here.
Once the ward door closed, the Old Master’s gaze fell on Gu Xinglan’s face.
“Little Seven, I know you don’t accept your Fourth Brother, but I have already decided to hand the banner of Huiyao to him.”
Old Man Gu’s voice was weak; saying one sentence made him pant for a good while.
“I hope you give up unrealistic notions and assist your Fourth Brother well in the future…”
Gu Xinglan leaned down slightly, his voice gentle.
“Grandpa, you know clearly that I do everything better than Fourth Brother. Just because of my mother’s status, I became your discarded pawn.”
Old Man Gu pressed his lips together, not speaking.
“Grandpa, this matter has put me in a rather bad mood,” Gu Xinglan said, sitting on the edge of the old man’s bed.
“When I’m in a bad mood, I like to let my thoughts run wild. I was thinking, how can I make you take back your command and change your course?”
His voice was unhurried.
“And then I found this. Take a look.”
As he spoke, he held his phone in front of Old Master Gu’s eyes.
It was a video secretly filmed with hidden equipment.
Although not perfectly clear, distinguishing the protagonist’s face was no problem.
“These children are all under twelve. Fourth Brother really has the heart to do it. You know what crimes he can be charged with for this, right?”
“If I leak the video, tell me, will Fourth Brother have trouble?”
Gu Xinglan finished speaking, keeping a faint smile on his handsome face as he stared at the Old Master on the bed.
Old Master Gu’s already ugly complexion turned even whiter.
“Gu Xinglan!” He gritted his teeth, spitting out the three syllables ruthlessly. His breath suddenly couldn’t keep up, and he began to pant heavily.
“Grandpa, don’t get angry.” Gu Xinglan adopted a very considerate posture, gently smoothing the old man’s breath.
“You probably know your days are numbered. I hope you can hand Huiyao to me before you go.”
“You know my abilities. Huiyao will definitely have a better future in my hands than in Fourth Brother’s. You can also leave with peace of mind.”
Gu Xinglan’s beautiful lips held a trace of a smile.
“Grandpa, I’m not in a hurry; you consider it slowly.”
“Don’t you rush either. At worst, Fourth Brother just goes to prison for eight or ten years; it’s no big deal.”
He stood up, striding away with his long legs, leaving behind a sentence devoid of emotion: “Leaving now. Tell me when you’ve thought it through.”
When Gu Xinglan returned to his car, his personal bodyguard, Xiao Han, called.
“President Gu, the person is now at the Third Hospital. He’s run into some trouble…”
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