Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 45: Breaching Promises

The investigation required time.

The public also needed an explanation.

No one could brush off such a major incident.

But no one dared to investigate it either, fearing it might implicate people they couldn’t afford to offend.

For a while, the situation was a complete mess, shrouded in suspicion.

What others didn’t dare do, Xu Si dared.

Xu Si hired many professional detectives. With evidence in hand, they traced it back to several powerful families. In the presence of journalists, she passed the evidence to the police, who had been avoiding and stalling the case.

Several old tycoons were put under surveillance, including Gu Jing’s grandfather.

It immediately brought to mind the past scandals involving old Mr. Gu.

Injecting the blood of young girls in an attempt to prolong his life.

Wen Jiaojiao naturally thought of Gu Jing, who had suddenly appeared that day. With mixed feelings, she approached him to ask if Pei Zhen’s death was related to him.

Gu Jing denied it.

Wen Jiaojiao didn’t immediately believe him, nor did she completely doubt him. She also didn’t tell Xu Si. Truthfully, she had been the one to ask Gu Jing to stay that day. Gu Jing had seemed very troubled, hardly like someone with insider knowledge.

Wen Jiaojiao actually hoped Gu Jing had been responsible. At least then there would have been a chance—a chance that Pei Zhen hadn’t died at sea.

She knew Xu Si kept saying everyone has their own fate, yet she never gave up searching for Pei Zhen.

Months had passed since the shipwreck occurred.

There was still no news.

The difficulty was too great, as the ship hadn’t been salvaged.

But professional surveyors had gone down and confirmed that it truly was just a maritime disaster, and that Pei Zhen had not been the only passenger onboard.

「That year.」

Some people received a large sum of money due to the loss of a family member. It was enough to ensure they could live comfortably for the rest of their lives. They didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

But when the compensation reached Xu Si’s hands, she added more of her own money and used it all to build an orphanage.

She threw Hong Kong Island into turmoil. After the scandals of those powerful families broke out, their stock prices plummeted. Xu Si operated from the shadows, investing heavily to acquire their stocks and take control of their scattered shares. Although she wasn’t the major shareholder, she ensured they could no longer easily offend the Xu Family.

The ones controlling the dozen or so cars that had tailed her were the same group from the Underground City who had been in the factory. They all ended up at the bottom of the sea, with very few rescued.

Xu Si quickly made a name for herself, becoming the most promising young female tycoon on Hong Kong Island.

Only when the detectives returned one after another without results, returning the reward money and saying there was no hope, did Xu Si leave Hong Kong Island. Holding the only photo she had with Pei Zhen, she went to Germany to complete her studies.

The moment the plane took off, she looked down at the glorious land of Hong Kong Island, feeling somewhat lost.

At first, she truly wanted to kill Pei Zhen. But as time passed, she became unsure.

Was this a belated wish fulfillment, or a punishment from the heavens?

...

The bustling Underground City was independent of Hong Kong Island. Yet it was far darker and more chaotic than the situation on Hong Kong Island, a thousand times over—no borders, no police stations, no ordinary residents; a true no-man’s-land. Every corner of the city teemed with gang members and crazed tycoons from all over the world.

Conflict, evil, and all sorts of sinister deeds occurred here frequently. Inside every luxurious building lingered the corrupting stench of money and wild ambition.

Ordinary people living in peace could never imagine such a place existed in the world.

Inside the high-end Gambling City of the Underground City, many men and women, dressed in lavish clothes and adorned with jewelry, smoked cigars, drank fine wine, and embraced beautiful women or handsome youths. They sat on plush leather sofas, smiling as they watched a special performance.

In the professional fighters’ Octagonal Cage, a group of barefoot, unarmed people were enclosed.

All had bloodshot eyes and glared at each other with hatred. Their large, solid muscles were caked with blood and dust, clear evidence of a recent life-or-death struggle.

Their identities were complex. Some were professional enforcers for the casinos. Some were hapless individuals who had fallen into the Underground City without any organizational protection. Others were seeking revenge for loved ones who had lost in a previous round, among others.

No matter who they were, once they stood in the fighting ring, the rules were simple: win, and there was prize money to treat their wounds; lose, and they were left to their fate. Surrender or pausing the fight was not allowed.

The match was already halfway through. When the whistle blew, everyone surged together again. Some who fell were immediately carried away.

Eventually, only one two-meter-tall giant remained in the cage. He excitedly beat his chest and stomped his feet, roaring, "I’m the winner!"

The wealthy spectators erupted into joyful cheers.

But the referee shook his head.

"Hey, big guy, there’s one young man behind you."

The giant turned incredulously, only to see a lean young man lying there. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his usually straight back was slightly bent; he had obviously been targeted as an easy victim from the start.

He laughed, his voice hoarse. "Huh? I didn’t even see him. Are you sure he’s alive? He’s so good-looking, I’m almost reluctant to strike him."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he kicked the young man hard against the iron railings of the cage.

BANG!

The young man’s bones must have been close to breaking.

Pei Zhen’s cheek was pressed to the ground, his eyes closed. A few strands of his slightly long hair hung over his forehead. His delicate features were all marred by injuries, his brow was furrowed in pain, and his lips were cracked and bleeding.

All he could think about was what Wen Jiaojiao’s boyfriend had said on the day he arrived here. —"Go in, and if you come out alive, Xu Si will come for you."

Since coming here, even breathing had become difficult.

The people here were ferocious and cruel. He had never won. He was afraid that if his hands became stained, he could never go back.

But he had desperately struggled to survive, enduring month after month.

Yet, his aunt still hadn’t come for him.

At this moment, his dull gray eyes had lost all their light. As his flesh was relentlessly pummeled by fists, he could not move.

For an instant, he was afraid again.

He was afraid something had happened to his aunt; that was why she hadn’t come.

Once this thought arose, he couldn’t let it go. His weary heart began to beat regularly again. He could barely draw fresh air into his lungs, but still, he raised his hand.

The crowd quieted down. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

The young man on the ground slowly opened his eyes. They held no trace of tenderness, only the feral gleam of a wild beast. Exploiting a blind spot in his opponent’s defense, he lunged and grabbed the giant’s neck.

...

The air in the luxurious venue was murky, devoid of a single ray of sunlight.

The wealthy spectators, who had just been laughing heartily, now wore ugly expressions after losing money.

"Stupid big guy, can’t even beat a pretty boy."

"F**k!"

Curses filled the room.

The casino manager smiled as he walked into the iron cage. He ordered someone to help the dark horse youth up and even provided medical staff. "Although you’re an outsider and not entitled to make requests," he said, "we’ve made a lot of money thanks to you. I’m willing to grant you one small, reasonable request. Go ahead. Besides leaving this place or contacting outsiders, what do you want?"

Pei Zhen licked his cracked lips and said haltingly, "I want to know the current status of Eldest Miss Xu of the Xu Family from Hong Kong Island."

The casino manager looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded. "No problem, kid. You know the rules of the Underground City—we’re not allowed to check on news from the outside world. But you’ve helped me win so much, I have to repay you."

「After an unknown amount of time had passed.」

Pei Zhen, covered in scars, lay on a damp bed. He had received several brand-new photographs. The woman in the pictures was in Germany, holding an academic medal and beaming.

He paused, then casually placed the photographs aside. Leaning back against the headboard, his torso partially raised, the exposed musculature was a canvas of startling wounds, possessing a strange, shattered beauty.

His other slender hand covered his eyes. A faint, almost soundless chuckle escaped his handsome, slightly curled lips.

As he chuckled, a single, crystal-clear tear escaped from between his fingers and traced a path down his palm.

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