Chapter 128: What’s Your Name?
Chapter 128: Chapter 128: What’s Your Name?
The black-clad men behind the man in the white coat stepped forward and swung their fists at the man.
Knowing he couldn’t win, the man pulled the little girl into his arms, bracing for the vicious beating.
Gu Zhao didn’t know what came over her, but on some strange impulse, she stepped in front of the man.
She gave the nearest black-clad man a shove.
The man stumbled back, staring at Gu Zhao in disbelief.
’Did I just run into a Hercules?’
The other black-clad men jeered at him. "Never knew you were such a kiss-ass!"
Deliberately trying to suck up to the boss’s new little sister.
’Tsk, tsk. How calculating.’
The man who’d been shoved had a grievance he couldn’t voice, so he chose to say nothing. He stood off to the side, no longer in a hurry to grab anyone, and just watched his buddies advance.
Gu Zhao stood her ground in front of the man. If one came, she shoved one. If two came, she shoved two. If three came, she’d stomp on one of them!
In an instant, the black-clad men were either clutching their thighs in disbelief or hopping on one foot, their eyes filled with pain.
The first man who’d been pushed jeered, "Tsk, tsk. Never knew you guys were such kiss-asses."
The black-clad men: ...
Seeing this, the man in the white coat turned red with anger. "So that’s how it is! Every single one of you is putting on a damn show for me!"
The black-clad men looked utterly wronged.
"She’s too strong..."
The man in the white coat grew even more furious. "Are you taking me for a fool? How strong can a little kid be!"
With that, he stepped forward and gave Gu Zhao a push himself.
PLOP. Gu Zhao fell right on her bottom.
She sat on the floor looking utterly pitiful, the corners of her eyes turning red.
The black-clad men: ...
The man in the white coat sneered, now completely convinced these guys were just a bunch of kiss-asses!
"Just great! The lot of you!"
He whipped around, his white coat flaring, and stormed off. ’With this pack of traitors guarding her, I’ll never be able to take that little girl!’
’I’m going to tell the boss!’
The handsome man: ...
The black-clad men quickly followed him out.
The handsome man shot Gu Zhao a strange look.
Gu Zhao looked back with an innocent expression. None of the onlookers thought she was strong; only the black-clad men knew the truth.
"Why... did you help me?"
Gu Zhao smiled. "Because you’re handsome. Ever consider running with me? You can be my..."
Gu Zhao started counting on her fingers.
’Including animals and people, where does that put him in my harem?’
’Never mind.’ Gu Zhao quickly gave up. She cleared her throat and continued, "Join this Big King’s harem!"
"This Big King will protect you."
Gu Zhao lifted her chin, looking exceptionally smug. "Go on, ask around. Not just anyone can get into Gu Zhao’s harem. If I didn’t think you were just a victim who was kidnapped, and not actually a bad guy, I wouldn’t even be making this offer."
Hearing the name "Gu Zhao," the handsome man paused. "Isn’t your surname Jia?"
Gu Zhao froze for a second. "It is. Jia Hua."
"Isn’t that what I said? Jia Hua. What did you think you heard?" Gu Zhao’s expression was sincere, utterly devoid of guilt.
Seeing his calm expression, Gu Zhao felt he didn’t believe her. She quickly changed the subject. "So, what’s your name?"
The handsome man didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled the little girl behind him into a room.
Gu Zhao hesitated for a few seconds before trotting after them on her short legs.
Inside the room were five or six other little girls. Instead of being afraid of the man, they ran over happily, calling out, "Big Brother!"
The man patted their heads, his tone distant. "Don’t call me that."
The little girls looked crestfallen.
’Big Brother doesn’t seem to like us. Does that mean we’ll be taken away? Will we turn into monsters like the other kids?’
Gu Zhao looked from them to the man.
She remembered what the man in the white coat had said. He seemed to have a sister.
"Was your sister kidnapped too?"
"Yes."
"What’s her name?"
"Gu Suian."
Gu Zhao felt a flash of disappointment. ’Okay, guess I was just being full of myself.’
She had thought this man was her missing third brother.
’But I was never called that in the Gu Family. I’m just Gu Zhao.’
"So, what’s your name? You still haven’t answered me." Gu Zhao was still a little suspicious.
"Gu Huaiyan," he answered.
Gu Zhao’s mind went blank. ’What was Third Brother’s name again?’
’Damn it! How could I have forgotten!’
"Do you have any brothers, older or younger?" Gu Zhao pressed, staring at Gu Huaiyan with an expectant look that said she wouldn’t give up until she got the answer she wanted.
"No," he replied, his face and voice turning several shades colder.
Gu Zhao’s hopes instantly fell.
"Oh. Well, I’m leaving then." Gu Zhao turned and left, planning to use the map Gu Huaiyan had given her to find the exit.
As she walked out, she failed to notice Gu Huaiyan’s searching gaze.
Gu Huaiyan stared at the doorway for a long time. ’No wonder those men in black were so cooperative with her.’
He sneered. ’Jia Hua?’
’She really is Jia Xu’s dear little sister, already helping her brother probe for information about my siblings.’
She wasn’t the first person who wanted to know about his siblings.
Since he’d been locked up here, countless people had come to sound him out.
They had even deliberately sent one of the children he’d rescued, all to gain his trust and extract information.
’Thankfully, my parents’ identities were never made public. They only know my parents had more than one child, but they don’t know their genders or names.’
’As long as I keep my mouth shut, my brothers will be safe.’
Gu Huaiyan gave the little girls some more food and then left.
Meanwhile, Gu Zhao followed the map he had given her. She checked a few locations and confirmed the map was accurate, but unfortunately, it didn’t show the location of any exits.
The exit was likely in one of the areas marked with a question mark. She would have to check every single one.
The first question mark was right next to the cells. Gu Zhao decided to head there first, but she had one other stop to make before that.
She swaggered down the hallway. The few patrolling men in black she passed all gave her strange looks.
She didn’t see a single one of the men in white coats; they were probably all holed up in the lab, creating monsters.
She walked to the kitchen, where several chefs were bustling about.
When they saw Gu Zhao, they all greeted her, their expressions just as strange as the guards’.
Gu Zhao was bewildered. ’Why do I get the feeling I’m famous now?’
"Get me some food. I want to take it back to my room to eat. Make plenty, I have a big appetite," Gu Zhao said, putting on a cold, imperious act.
The chefs were very polite. "Of course, Miss Jia. You can head back to your room. We’ll bring it to you once it’s ready."
Gu Zhao acted impatient. "Just hurry up and make it. I’ll take it myself."
The chefs were annoyed but started on Gu Zhao’s order first.
With several chefs cooking at once, Gu Zhao had ten dishes in just over ten minutes. Everything was packed in plastic containers. Looking at all the food, Gu Zhao hesitated for a moment.
’Maybe... I should just eat it myself.’
After a second of internal debate, she ran out and found a small trolley. She placed the food on it and, when no one was looking, swiped a handful of chopsticks.
Then, without a hint of guilt, she pushed the trolley away.
「In the cell.」
A few figures sat listlessly in the corner.
Zhong Mingrui clutched his stomach with one hand, drawing circles in the dirt with the other.
"Brother... look. Doesn’t this look like a big flatbread...?"
Zhong Mingrui gulped. Looking at the dirt on the ground, he felt tempted to take a bite.
Zhong Siqi ruffled his hair. "Little brother, your head looks pretty tasty too."
"Like a soup dumpling, filled to the brim."
"Let your big brother have a bite."
Zhong Mingrui thought about it seriously. "In that case, Brother, you should take two bites. Give one to me. I want to try it too."
"My meat is probably delicious too."