Chapter 437: Hard Work Pays Off
In less than a minute, Xiao Qi was begging for mercy. "I was wrong! Stop hitting me! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Xiao Qi hadn't expected to lose so quickly.
He thought that as the Patriarch, Xiao Ye would have to have some regard for his image, yet he had come straight to his house!
'Isn't he afraid of being seen?'
But it was useless to say anything now...
"I... I know you're the true heir of the Xiao Family, because I'm just an illegitimate son!"
"I'm not Xiao Ling's son. I'm the illegitimate son of his younger brother. Last month, someone suddenly found me and told me to take control of the Xiao Family from you."
"The temptation of the Xiao Family was so great, of course I agreed... As you can see, I failed."
The person behind all this had come up with the plan. Xiao Qi had been very confident, believing this method would have worked on anyone.
But on Xiao Ye, it had only caused a minor inconvenience.
It had made him worry about the Xiao Family Company's stock, but aside from that, there was almost nothing else that he truly took to heart.
Xiao Qi, casting aside all dignity, dropped to his knees. "Seeing as I never actually hurt you, can we just let this go? Please?"
"I'm begging you!"
Xiao Ye stared at him. "Who approached you?"
"It was... It was that Hu the Third! If it weren't for him, I never would have done something so reckless."
Hu the Third, once one of Xiao Ling's trusted confidants.
He vanished after the incident with Xiao Ling, and now, he had unexpectedly returned.
'Perhaps he really was one of Xiao Ling's confidants in the past, but he certainly isn't anymore.'
'He knew Xiao Qi's true identity, yet he went ahead with this anyway. He's out to get someone!'
"Keep talking. What all did Hu the Third say when he found you?"
"He told me to pose as Xiao Ling's illegitimate son and go head-to-head with you, and that he would take care of everything else."
"He also said that if I succeeded, the entire Xiao Family would be mine."
Xiao Ye pondered for a moment, then had Xiao Qi placed under guard before driving back home.
He sought out an old retainer who had once served Xiao Ling. The man still worked for the Xiao Family as a purchasing manager, primarily responsible for procuring the family's food supplies.
It was a cushy job with plenty of opportunities for kickbacks, but the man performed his duties admirably.
"I want to ask you about Hu the Third."
The purchasing manager nodded profusely. "Please ask, sir. I guarantee I'll tell you everything I know and hold nothing back!"
"Back then, what was Hu the Third's relationship with my father like?"
"Excellent!" the purchasing manager answered without hesitation. "And not just good—back then, the person the Patriarch trusted most was Hu the Third!"
"My apologies, Patriarch. Force of habit."
"It's fine. Call him whatever you want." Xiao Ye didn't care much about such minor things.
"When my father disappeared, what was Hu the Third doing at that time?"
Xiao Ling's disappearance was a major event, so even after so many years, the old retainers around him still had fresh memories of it.
"That day... Hu the Third wasn't around! No, wait... I think he went out with the Patriarch, and then we never heard from him again."
"That's right, Hu the Third disappeared along with the Patriarch!"
The purchasing manager slapped his thigh. "Everyone always said Hu the Third left *after* the Patriarch disappeared, and I believed it, too. But now that I think about it, that's not right at all!"
"Patriarch, it seems we were all misled."
They had indeed been misled.
'It seems there's a problem with this Hu the Third.'
If he wasn't mistaken, Hu the Third must have betrayed Xiao Ling back then.
After the inquiry, Xiao Ye ordered a thorough investigation into Hu the Third.
Hu the Third had only just appeared a few days ago to endorse Xiao Qi, but he left the Imperial City the very same day, and no one knew his current whereabouts.
In the photo, a man was smoking.
Xiao Ye noticed a tattoo on his hand. "Based on this tattoo, keep investigating. See if you can dig up anything."
The publicly available information revealed nothing of significance.
Hu the Third had been in hiding for so many years; he had surely destroyed any incriminating evidence long ago.
About two hours later, a subordinate sent an email.
Attached was a photograph.
The scene was a place resembling a cave, with lit torches everywhere.
A group of people were all wearing masks, but there was one exception. It was a woman, and she was from the Ouyang Family.
This photo had been discovered in the laboratory that was raided earlier. The woman in the picture was one of the lab's researchers.
Xiao Ye examined the photo carefully and soon made a discovery.
Among the dancing figures to the side of the woman, one person had raised their hand, and the tattoo on the back of the hand was identical to Hu the Third's.
Xiao Ye's expression turned icy. 'Could it be... that Father's death is also connected to the Angel Association?'
'It seems I have no choice but to find this Hu the Third!'
Dead or alive, he had to be found!
On the surface, the Imperial City was still calm and peaceful, but in reality, an undercurrent was already surging.
To find Hu the Third's whereabouts as quickly as possible, Xiao Ye even had the Zhu family perform a divination.
His efforts were not in vain.
After a full seven days, they finally found him.
Upon learning the news, Xiao Ye went to retrieve him personally to prevent any mishaps.
Fortunately, the journey back to the villa was safe.
The car door opened, a burlap sack was lifted out, and unceremoniously thrown to the ground.
"Patriarch, the man inside is Hu the Third. When we found him, he was sucking a person's blood!"
"The guy's a monster! He killed a young girl, so young..."
Xiao Ye waved his hand, signaling them to take the bag inside.
However, they didn't take him into the Xiao Family's main villa, but to a cellar off to the side.
The burlap sack shook continuously.
With a single slash, Xiao Ye severed the rope.
Soon, the person inside wriggled out. His hair was a mess, there was duct tape over his mouth, and it was none other than Hu the Third.
His pupils contracted the moment he saw Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye ripped the tape from his mouth. "Since I was able to find you, you should know what I'm going to ask."
"Talk now and avoid the pain. If I have to kill you, I'll at least make it quick."
"If you don't, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
Hu the Third remained silent. "I have nothing to say. Just kill me. I let the Patriarch down back then, but you can't blame me for it."
Xiao Ye had expected his defiance and immediately had the prepared items brought in.
They were all sorts of torture instruments. Some were no bigger than a fingernail, while others were larger than a human head. Each had its own special purpose.
"I will use every last one of these on you. Not a single one will be skipped. But I can guarantee you won't die. I'll make sure you live on in agony!"
Xiao Ye turned and left, not even sparing Hu the Third a single glance.
Soon, miserable screams echoed from the cell.
Leaning against the wall, Xiao Ye uncharacteristically lit a cigarette.