After Switching Bodies, the Mad Overbearing CEO Takes Over the Entertainment Industry-Chapter 222 - 217 Li Hongjin Goes Missing

"Yu, your uncle is looking out for you. The Fu family is thriving and wouldn’t mind marrying into ours. Besides, it’s just an engagement for now. We can delay the wedding a few years to give you time to cultivate a deeper bond," Uncle Zhou reasoned.

Gong Yu bowed his head slightly and murmured an acknowledgment, "Mm."

He clasped his hands together tightly, summoning great strength to refrain from disagreeing with Gong Zhengli. Without enough power, those who stick their necks out usually end up in tragedy.

He relaxed completely, reclining in his seat and closing his eyes for a brief rest.

Scenes from the recent past flitted through his mind, finally settling on the image of Ji Tian. It felt as though he had taken the wrong path, one that led him further and further astray.

His resistance was fierce, as if he had once trodden this same path, which instilled in him both loathing and a profound sense of powerlessness.

Looking out at the dark night through the window, the wintery skies of Capital City were devoid of stars, utterly dark.

After dinner, as Ji Lingyun mentioned he had to rush off to handle corporate matters, Tang Yu, rubbing his distended belly, wondered, "Is my older cousin always this busy? Having to work late at night, even though he’s the CEO?"

Ji Tian watched the departing car and shrugged, "Maybe he really is that busy. Who knows what his employees are actually there for?"

Aware of the situation, Ji Qilin simply smiled without comment, eventually saying, "Let’s go, we should head home."

Once home, Ji Tian returned to her room and held the Emperor Green jade in her hand, which felt warm and luminous, hard to let go.

She called upon the King of Competition in her mind to check her Laziness Power.

After unlocking, she gained the permanent skill "Stone to Gold" with a one-time bonus of the "hypnotism" skill. Her total Laziness Power was at 45%. She had six containers of Faith Value, and now that her Luck Value was maxed out, she spent three containers to also max out her Wisdom Value. Although she did not feel a significant change, being full made her intellectually invincible.

The next three containers she put into Strength Value, which went from five to eight, maintaining her Beauty Value at 7.

Sighing, she realized she had to start streaming again to earn more Faith Value. After all, streaming was a great tool not only for completing tasks but also for chatting with fans~

King of Competition: [...]

Absurd!

Ever since she discovered this shortcut, she had been exploitatively ’farming’ her skills. If not for the skill limitations, she might have maxed everything already.

...

Tang Yu settled down in the Ji Family’s villa. Meanwhile, Ji Tian had to manage her battle team since they had progressed to Group A, aiming next for the Group S spot, and ultimately the semi-finals against the Central Continent’s team to qualify for the world championship. Before the premiere of the Ultimate Brain show, Ji Tian planned to visit the suburbs to inform the old man that she had been admitted to the KI Research Institute.

The day before Ultimate Brain’s premiere was Friday. After school, Ji Tian asked Uncle Zhou to drive her to the suburbs, bringing along several drinks and snacks for the visit.

It had been a while since her last visit, and the vegetable garden outside his house flourished with lush green cabbages. Ji Tian easily carried three drinks in one hand. Uncle Zhou, comparing her slender arms to his robust ones, suddenly felt a wave of inferiority.

Despite his age, he was not as strong as a young girl.

"Miss, let me carry it. Don’t strain yourself."

Ji Tian felt neither tired nor burdened. She stepped aside to prevent Uncle Zhou from lifting anything, "Aren’t your joints aching? Don’t carry heavy stuff. I can handle it. You’ll still need to drive me back later."

Uncle Zhou felt a warm glow inside but wouldn’t let Ji Tian carry everything. He cheerfully picked up several boxes of lightweight cookies, "Miss is kind-hearted, keeping company with this lonely old man for so long and even bringing him treats. He’s truly blessed to have met such a good person over three lifetimes."

Praised to the skies, Ji Tian felt embarrassed.

She coughed lightly, "Er, Uncle Zhou, I’m not as great as you say. The old man has taught me a lot too. I’m just repaying him."

"To know gratitude and repay kindness, never forgetting someone’s benevolence is truly virtuous. Heaven will surely bless you, Miss, with peace and safety."

Ji Tian let out a small smile, "I’ll take that as your blessing."

Arriving at the wooden door, she knocked, "Old man, open up. I’m here."

However, after waiting for a few seconds, there was no response inside.

Ji Tian’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she called out again, "Old man? Are you there?"

In the next instant, she pushed the door open— it wasn’t even locked. The house appeared unoccupied for several days, and a layer of dust had settled on the table.

"Ah, where could this old man have gone? He couldn’t have gone up the mountain, could he?" As Uncle Zhou moved the items inside, he looked around. Ji Tian noticed the disarray of footprints on the ground before taking out her phone to call Li Hongjin.

But his phone had been turned off for quite some time.

Her keen eyes caught a subtle bloodstain on a corner of the table, her expression darkening as she headed straight to his bedroom. The door pushed open easily; clothes were scattered everywhere, and cupboards and the bed had been violently upturned—it was evident someone had ransacked the place searching for something of Li Hongjin’s.

The bloodstain outside was enough to imply grim prospects for the old man. Judging by the dryness, the blood had been there for over three days. By this time, saving him felt almost hopeless, either the people behind this had other intent and wouldn’t harm him, or he had already been dumped in the wilderness.

"Ah, it looks like a burglar was here. I hope nothing happened to the old man," Uncle Zhou panicked, "All these clothes thrown around getting dirty, oh dear."

He bent down and picked up a nearby garment, and a metal brooch fell to the floor. The clink caught Ji Tian’s attention, and she crouched to pick it up, noting its exquisite craftsmanship marked with the word "Black."

"Who would do this, attacking a septuagenarian? They’ll get their comeuppance eventually," Uncle Zhou ranted, worried Ji Tian might be upset.

Standing up, Ji Tian exhaled lightly, already piecing things together.

Hei City A3 District!

Last time, a hacker breached their surveillance system and uncovered their arms trafficking.

And now they’d kidnapped Li Hongjin. What could they possibly want?

Days had passed, and Ji Tian wasn’t sure if Li Hongjin was still in Capital City or even alive. She dreaded thinking what valuable the old man might have hidden that made him such a target.

Seeing Ji Tian deep in thought, and unsure himself, Uncle Zhou asked anxiously, "Miss, what should we do now? Should we hire someone to find him, or shall we post a missing person notice?"

"Call the police!" Ji Tian’s eyes narrowed, a cold laugh escaping her, "And make as much noise as possible!"

She was determined to confront the people behind Hei City’s A3 District herself. They had no right to abduct her master.