147: Chapter 147 Coercing Zhao Cheng'an

Nanhe County, Chairman's Office of Hengtong Real Estate.

Chairman Zhao was listening to a subordinate report the results of handling last night's incident.

Those thugs had already been bailed out and had unified their story, saying it was a private dispute.

Although the police were suspicious, they lacked evidence. Combined with Chairman Zhao's network of connections, the matter was temporarily suppressed.

"What about those two? Have you found their whereabouts?" Chairman Zhao rubbed his temples; staying up all night had left him with heavy bags under his eyes.

"We're still checking. Surveillance caught them leaving the hotel, but after that..."

The ringing of a cell phone interrupted the report.

Chairman Zhao glanced at the screen.

It was a video call from his son, Zhao Tianyu.

He motioned for his subordinate to pause, adjusted his expression, and connected the video.

"Tianyu, why at this time..."

His words came to an abrupt halt.

On the screen, his son was tied up in the back seat of a car, tape over his mouth, his eyes filled with terror.

A person wearing a black hood that only revealed their eyes appeared in the frame, and a mechanical voice came through.

To be safe, Cao Kun had worn a hood and used a voice changer.

"Chairman Zhao, I have your son."

Chairman Zhao stood up abruptly, his chair flipping backward with a loud bang. The subordinate jumped in surprise, not knowing what to do.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" Chairman Zhao's voice changed pitch. "If you dare touch a single hair on my son's head, I'll make your whole family pay with their lives!"

"Calm down, Director Zhao." The voice-changed tone was devoid of emotion. "Your threats are useless against me. Now, listen clearly to my demands."

Chairman Zhao forced himself to take a deep breath and signaled for his subordinate to leave the office.

Once the door was closed, he lowered his voice: "How much money do you want? Name a price."

"I don't want money."

"Then what do you want?!"

"I want you to start a live stream and expose all your crimes to the entire internet."

"The time is tonight at eight o'clock. Any platform is fine, but it must be real-name authenticated, and you must show your face."

Chairman Zhao's face went deathly pale. "You're crazy! Why should I listen to you?"

"Because your son is in my hands."

The camera turned toward Zhao Tianyu. "Tonight at eight, if I don't see your live stream, or if you try to pull any tricks, I will cut your son into pieces and mail them to your company, your home, and the Charity Foundation you frequent."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"You can test whether I dare or not." Cao Kun's voice remained calm. "By the way, to prove this isn't an act, Tianyu, say hello to your dad."

The tape was ripped off, and Zhao Tianyu shouted tremblingly, "Dad! Save me! He really will kill me! Save me, Dad!"

The fear in his voice was so real that Chairman Zhao's heart clenched.

The tape was reapplied.

"Did you see your son's expression? Remember this fear," Cao Kun said. "The children you killed had this same expression before they died—even more hopeless."

"You... who the hell are you?!" Chairman Zhao was practically roaring. "What do those children have to do with you?!"

"I am a debt collector," Cao Kun said coldly. "Tonight at eight, Chairman Zhao, your son's life is in your hands."

The video call disconnected.

Chairman Zhao stared blankly at the black screen. A few seconds later, he violently hurled his phone against the wall!

With a bang, the phone shattered into pieces.

The office door was pushed open, and the secretary peeked in frantically. "Director Zhao, what happened?"

"Get out! Everyone get the hell out!" Chairman Zhao roared hysterically.

The secretary was so frightened that they hurriedly closed the door.

Chairman Zhao slumped onto the sofa, holding his head in his hands, his body shaking. It wasn't fear; it was pure rage.

In his twenty years of dominance in Nanhe County, it had always been him threatening others; no one had ever dared to threaten him!

More terrifying was that the other party knew about those children.

Those secrets he thought were buried forever.

His phone was broken, so he grabbed the landline and dialed a number: "Lao Si! Move the plan forward! I want you to find those two people within today! Use whatever method necessary!"

"Director Zhao, this will take time..."

"I'll pay more! Five million! No, ten million! Find them within today!"

Hanging up, Chairman Zhao dialed another number: "Help me trace a video signal source. Just now, my son's video call. Use all your connections; I want to know where they are!"

After doing all this, he slumped on the sofa, gasping for breath.

The office air conditioning was on full blast, yet he was dripping with sweat.

No, he couldn't just sit and wait for death.

He forced himself to calm down and began to think.

The other party was clearly prepared; they knew his secrets and knew he cared most about his son.

This kind of person wouldn't be easily bought off with money, nor would they be easily intimidated.

But the other party must have a weakness.

All humans have weaknesses.

Ruthlessness recongealed in Chairman Zhao's eyes.

He picked up a spare phone and dialed his wife's number.

...

On the outskirts of the provincial capital, inside a pre-rented house.

Cao Kun tied Zhao Tianyu to a chair and checked the doors, windows, and surrounding surveillance equipment.

He had rented this place three days ago using a fake identity. It was surrounded by rental units with high personnel turnover, making it easy to go unnoticed.

The tape on Zhao Tianyu's mouth had been removed, but he was very "cooperative" and did not shout.

"Are... are you really my father's enemy?" Zhao Tianyu asked tentatively. "What did he do?"

Cao Kun glanced at him. "You don't know?"

"I know some of his business isn't clean, but..." Zhao Tianyu's eyes flickered. "It shouldn't be enough for someone to kidnap me, right?"

"Pedophilia, and the murder of at least seven children. Is that enough?"

Zhao Tianyu's face instantly changed. "No... impossible! My dad is a philanthropist! He's sponsored so many poor children! How could he..."

"The sponsorship was to make it easier to pick his prey," Cao Kun interrupted coldly. "Just like you—on the surface an excellent student, but behind the scenes going to clubs to find girls. Like father, like son, isn't it?"

Zhao Tianyu was speechless, his face turning various shades of red and white.

"I won't hurt you, provided your father does as I say."

Cao Kun sat down opposite him. "But if you try to escape or pull any tricks, I can't guarantee your safety."

"Aren't you afraid my father will find this place? He has many connections in the provincial capital too!"

"Let him search," Cao Kun said calmly. "Until he finds it, your life is in my hands."

Zhao Tianyu fell silent.

He looked at the mysterious person in front of him.

Although he was wearing a mask, his build was upright and his movements were efficient; he clearly wasn't an ordinary kidnapper.

What made him even more uneasy was that the other party seemed to know everything about his father's affairs.

Could it be... those rumors were true?

Zhao Tianyu recalled some details.

His father never let him into his study.

Sometimes he would drive out alone late at night and not return until the next day.

He was excessively concerned about the sponsored poor children, even visiting them in person...

A chill rose from his spine.

"If... if those things are true," Zhao Tianyu's voice trembled, "will you kill my dad?"

"The law will judge him," Cao Kun said. "My goal is only to make him confess his crimes and accept the punishment he deserves."

"Then what about me? What will happen to me?"

"That depends on your own choice." Cao Kun looked at him. "You can continue being your rich second-generation heir, using money to cover up all evil deeds, or, starting from now, be a real human being."

Zhao Tianyu lowered his head and stopped speaking.

Cao Kun checked the time.

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Three hours until eight o'clock.

...