Chapter 812
Assassination Mystery!
Daofeng nodded slightly as a greeting. His gaze swept quickly over Qin Luo, noticing his slightly pale face and furrowed brows, and his eyes darkened.
"Come in and speak."
Qin Luo stepped aside to let him in and then closed the door behind him.
Blade didn't waste any words and spoke directly, his voice deep and clear.
"The car accident has been investigated. It was an assassination."
Qin Luo walked to the living room sofa, sat down, lit a cigarette, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Be more specific."
"After Wu Yufeng subdued the dump truck driver, he suddenly died of poisoning before he could get anything out of him."
Blade stood opposite Qin Luo, his tone completely calm, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
"The preliminary forensic examination revealed that the venom was hidden in a specially made denture; biting into it would have been fatal. The denture was well-made and clearly prepared in advance. This was a premeditated, organized assassination attempt with the option of eliminating witnesses if it failed."
Poisonous fangs? A premeditated attempt to silence them?
Qin Luo slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes deep and chilling.
This method is indeed ruthless and professional. It seems that the person who wanted him dead did so not on a whim, but with premeditated intent.
Have you found out who's behind this?
Qin Luo asked.
Not yet.
Blade shook his head.
"The driver is from another province with a simple background. He only recently started driving a dump truck in Mindu and has been in contact with a wide variety of people. The trail has temporarily gone cold. But in Mindu, there aren't many people with the ability and motive to plan such an assassination and use poison fangs to silence someone."
Qin Luo quickly calculated in his mind. Someone with the ability and the motive… An Ruoxi? Qiu Qinyun? Or the missing Crown Prince Hui? Or perhaps… other forces lurking in the shadows, whose interests have been harmed by the change of ownership of the Anbang Group?
Whoever dares to kill him must be prepared to face his wrath.
"Continue the investigation."
Qin Luo's voice carried an undeniable coldness.
"Use all the power at your disposal, even if it means turning Mindu upside down, to find out who is behind this."
"Yes."
Blade agreed, and then added.
"The old man's funeral is tomorrow morning. I'll come to pick you up."
Qin Luo nodded.
"understood."
Blade looked at Qin Luo, hesitated for a moment, and then added.
"Your Highness, please be extra careful lately. I will arrange for people to be deployed around Min Du Yi Pin to ensure your safety."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble."
Qin Luo said.
Blade said no more, bowed slightly again, and turned to leave.
He came and went in a hurry, leaving behind only the bad news that the conspiracy had been confirmed and an appointment for tomorrow.
Qin Luo sat alone on the sofa, his eyes sharp as knives amidst the swirling smoke. The horror of the car accident, the pain in his back, all transformed into a chilling killing intent. If someone didn't want him alive, then he would live a more spectacular life, and then, he would chop off those outstretched claws, one by one, completely!
……
Around noon, downstairs at the Anbang Group headquarters building.
An Ruoxi had just finished a long internal meeting and walked out of the building looking slightly tired.
Just as she was about to get into her car, Rose quickly stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.
"Young Miss, Blade is waiting for you up ahead."
An Ruoxi paused, looking in the direction Rose indicated.
On the side of the building, in the temporary parking area, the iconic white Hummer H2 was parked quietly, the driver's side window rolled down, revealing Blade's cold and handsome profile.
Is he waiting for her here?
A hint of doubt flashed through An Ruoxi's mind, but more than that, she felt a complex mix of emotions.
She nodded to Red Sleeve and Rose, signaling them to wait a moment, and then walked towards the Hummer alone.
As they approached the car, Blade had already stepped out. The brother and sister stood a few steps apart. The sunlight was somewhat dazzling, but the air between them seemed even more silent than the sunlight.
"elder brother."
An Ruoxi spoke first, her voice slightly hoarse.
It had been a long time since she had used that name so naturally.
Although they are not blood siblings, they were adopted and raised together by Grandpa An from a young age. Daofeng is a few years older than her and always protected her when they were young. This relationship is far deeper and more complex than blood ties.
As Daofeng looked at his younger sister, who had followed him since childhood and had now grown into a graceful and capable young woman, a subtle ripple flashed in his eyes, but his face remained as expressionless as ever.
He didn't respond to the address, but went straight to the point, his voice as cold as ice.
"Did you assassinate the Crown Prince?"
His gaze was like two ice-cold awls, piercing straight into An Ruoxi's eyes, giving her no room to dodge or think.
An Ruoxi's heart sank.
She hadn't expected Blade to question her so directly, especially in such an interrogative tone.
A surge of resentment and inexplicable anger welled up inside her, but she quickly suppressed it, took a deep breath, and asked in return.
"What would you do if I said yes?"
She looked at Daofeng with a complex expression, a hint of probing and an indescribable expectation.
Blade stared at her silently, his unfathomable eyes devoid of any emotion, only a cold, dark void. A few seconds later, he uttered two words clearly.
"You die."
These two words, like two hailstones, struck An Ruoxi's heart hard! Her delicate body trembled violently, her face turned pale instantly, and she stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the familiar yet unfamiliar man in front of her.
You die...
He actually said...you die?
For Qin Luo, the "prince" who appeared out of nowhere after we'd only known each other for a few days?
Countless images flashed uncontrollably through An Ruoxi's mind. When she was a child, she was bullied by street thugs, and Daofeng rushed in and broke the thug's arm. When she was punished by Grandpa An to kneel in the ancestral hall, Daofeng secretly gave her chocolate.
She went abroad to study and was harassed by the local gang. Daofeng single-handedly went to fight for her and killed 37 people. As a result, she was wanted by Interpol and forced to disappear for three years.
She had just taken over part of the group's business when she was harassed by several senior veterans who relied on their age and influence. It was Daofeng who stood behind her with his men, using their cold gazes to intimidate everyone...
For so many years, he has been her guardian angel, her strongest support, and the brother she can trust unconditionally.
She never imagined that one day, Blade would say "You die" to her in such a cold and resolute tone.
Just for Qin Luo? That so-called "godfather's bloodline," the "crown prince" of Anbang Group?
The immense disappointment and sense of betrayal tore An Ruoxi's heart apart, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Hongxiu, who had been standing not far away, tensed up instantly upon hearing the name "Blade." Her hand subtly rested on the soft sword at her waist, and she watched Blade warily. Even Rose, sitting in the car, couldn't help but get out and nervously observe the imminent standoff.
Dao Feng seemed oblivious to Hong Xiu's wariness and the pain in An Ruoxi's eyes.
His gaze swept over Hongxiu, his eyes eerily calm, before returning to An Ruoxi's face. His tone remained indifferent, yet carried an undeniable declaration.
“My godfather entrusted Anbang to him, and he is Anbang’s only master and my godfather’s only bloodline in this world.”
He paused, each word seeming as if it had been pulled from an ice cave.
"I hope it wasn't you who did it."
Having said that, he ignored An Ruoxi's pale face and Hongxiu's wary posture, turned around, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat of the Hummer. The engine let out a low growl, and the white Hummer, like a silent beast, slowly drove away, quickly disappearing into the traffic.
His trip was less of an interrogation and more of a warning, a declaration.
He needed to ascertain An Ruoxi's stance and make it clear to her—Qin Luo was untouchable. Anyone who tried to harm him would have to face his blade first. In his heart, he already knew that An Ruoxi… was most likely not the murderer.
Only when the Hummer was completely out of sight did Hongxiu's tense nerves relax slightly, but her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at An Ruoxi. Rose also came over and gently supported An Ruoxi's swaying arm.
"Miss..."
An Ruoxi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine.
She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, but the sting of being "betrayed" by her closest loved one in the coldest way lingered in her heart. Daofeng's attitude made her realize for the first time so clearly what Qin Luo's arrival had changed and shattered.
The three of them got back into the car. The atmosphere was somewhat somber.
An Ruoxi leaned back in her chair, gazing at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, her mood plummeting to its lowest point. Control of the group had slipped away, her most trusted brother was threatening to kill her for the sake of outsiders, and everything she had painstakingly built seemed to have become a joke.
Rose, who was driving, glanced at An Ruoxi's gloomy and disappointed expression through the rearview mirror, and her eyes flickered.
She suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the car.
“Miss, actually... there is a way to take over Anbang Group legitimately.”
Upon hearing this, An Ruoxi slightly raised her eyes and looked at the rose in the rearview mirror.
Hongxiu, standing to the side, frowned and retorted.
"What can we do? Qin Luo holds 75% of the shares, it's all in black and white, and there's even a video of the old man. Legally, Anbang Group belongs to him. Can we just take it by force? Blade will be the first to object."
An Ruoxi also sighed softly.
“Hongxiu is right. Although we now effectively control nearly half of the group’s industries and personnel, it is ultimately not legitimate.”
Qin Luo can intervene at any time, or even take it back, if he so chooses.
"The method I'm suggesting doesn't require force; it can even be legal and compliant, leaving Qiu Qinyun with no room for objection."
Rose's lips curled into a meaningful smile, her voice carrying a hint of seduction.
"Moreover, this method can kill two birds with one stone and also solve the important matter of your life in the second half of your life, Miss."
"A major event in life?"
Hongxiu was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.
An Ruoxi's brows furrowed slightly, as if she had thought of something, and her eyes became somewhat sharp.
"Rose, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Rose looked into An Ruoxi's eyes through the rearview mirror, a charming yet confident smile on her face, and spoke clearly, word by word.
"To become—the Crown Princess."
Inside the carriage, Rose's words, "become the Crown Princess," were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
Hongxiu was taken aback at first, then her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up! She carefully considered the suggestion, and the more she thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed!
"Crown Princess... Oh right! How come I didn't think of that!"
Hongxiu's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement as she turned to look at An Ruoxi in the back seat.
"Miss, Rose's idea is brilliant! If you can really become Qin Luo's wife, then you will be the rightful 'Crown Princess' and in the future 'Empress'! The mistress of Anbang Group!"
"When you're in charge of the group, who would dare utter a single word of dissent? Even Qiu Qinyun would likely have nothing to say! Moreover, Qin Luo now holds absolute control of the shares and is the acknowledged owner of Blade's Edge. With him in charge, many things will actually be easier to handle!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see An Ruoxi's glorious future and her leadership of Anbang.
An Ruoxi was also stunned by Rose's bold, almost fantastical, suggestion. To become Qin Luo's wife? The Crown Princess? This idea was something she had never considered before, and even found absurd.
Aside from a few less-than-pleasant encounters, she and Qin Luo were practically strangers. But now, with this option laid bare before her and imbued with such immense strategic significance, she had no choice but to begin to seriously consider it.
Seeing An Ruoxi's silence, Hongxiu assumed she was hesitating and quickly pressed her advantage, bombarding her with questions.
"Young Miss, what do you think of Qin Luo? Putting aside his status, let's just talk about him as a person!"
An Ruoxi frowned slightly, pondering Hongxiu's question, and Qin Luo's image appeared in her mind.
She's not one to judge people by their appearance, but she has to admit it.
"He...is indeed very good-looking."
That face, that aura—even An Ruoxi, who had seen countless handsome men and beautiful women, couldn't deny its allure.
"And what about their abilities?"
Hongxiu pressed for an answer.
An Ruoxi recalled the scene of him single-handedly storming the casino at the Xishan Villa, gambling against Night Rose, uncovering the internal strife, and saving her. She also recalled his composure when facing the blade and the complex situation within Anbang, and even his unfathomable martial arts skills... She nodded slowly.
"Very strong. Whether it is personal combat skills, or mental strength and courage, they far surpass ordinary people."
The fact that they were able to establish themselves in Fujian in such a short time and in such a shocking way, and even stir up the political storm, speaks volumes.
"And what about his character?"
Hongxiu continued to ask, "This is the most crucial point."
An Ruoxi pondered for a moment, recalling her limited interactions with Qin Luo.
Although he could be irritating at times and acted rather unconventionally, he didn't seem to have done anything truly despicable or opportunistic. On the contrary, he saved himself in Xishan, and although he couldn't save the old man in the hospital, he did his best. And despite Daofeng's respect, he didn't act arrogantly. (End of Chapter)