Chapter 51: The Truth of What Happened Back Then

“At first, I refused. I really did refuse.”

Shi Songlin’s emotions were a bit agitated.

“But they said if I didn’t agree, they would kill my wife, my children, and me. Because I already knew their purpose, they would never let someone who knew their secret and refused to cooperate go free.

I had no choice. I could only agree to their demands.

But I knew that once I followed their instructions, the Shi family would definitely come after me.

I didn’t want to involve my wife and children, so I immediately divorced my wife.

She really knew nothing—she just thought I was cheating on her.

In order to protect them, I didn’t explain anything and just let her believe that.

Afterwards, I looked for many chances to take the lady away.

But every time I was about to act, I hesitated.

When I was at my lowest point, it was Shi who gave me the chance to drive for him. I’m very grateful to him, really grateful!

I wanted to tell him the truth many times.

But… I really didn’t dare to take that risk.

My wife suffered a lot with me, I didn’t want her to lose her life because of me in the end.

And my child was still so young at the time, I…”

As he spoke, Shi Songlin grew unable to continue.

Shi Yi and the others didn’t interrupt and waited for him to continue.

“In the end, those people warned me that if I didn’t act quickly, they would cut off one of my son’s fingers.

The person who notified me even specially showed me a photo of him taking my son to buy cotton candy.

I really had no way, no way at all…”

Shi Songlin cried as he spoke.

“Weren’t those people supposed to take my mom away? Why did they end up taking my dad too?” Shi Yi asked with a dark expression.

Shi Songlin: “Since they gave me the final ultimatum, I have been trying to find a chance to take the lady away.

But during that time, the lady was mostly at home. There were many servants and guards at home, and cameras everywhere. I couldn’t quietly take her away without being noticed.”

So, I could only use my identity as a driver to take action when the lady went out.

As the final deadline drew closer and closer, those people started pressuring me again.

Coincidentally, at that time, Mr. Shi and the lady were going to a party, and I was the driver on duty.

For me, this was the last chance.

Because who knew how long I would have to wait until the lady took my car again.

I couldn’t wait any longer.

Originally, I planned that once we reached a safe place, I would drop off Mr. Shi and take the lady alone to the place those people mentioned.

But…

After those people realized I had succeeded, they kept monitoring me by phone.

They wouldn’t let me stop the car and made me keep driving.

When we arrived at the destination, they transferred Mr. Shi and the lady onto another car, then left.”

“They didn’t kill you?” Shi Yi raised his eyebrows.

Logically, those people should have silenced him.

Shi Songlin bitterly smiled, “They really wanted to kill me. I realized that at the time, so when they transferred Mr. Shi and the lady, I ran into the nearby dense forest.

They chased me from behind. In the end, I ran to a cliff with nowhere to retreat, so I had no choice but to jump down.

The cliff looked scary, but actually there was a very deep pool of water below.

I was just lucky—that’s how I survived.

But I didn’t dare leave the mountains because once I went out, whether it was the Shi family, the police, or those people, none of them would let me go.

So I could only hide in the mountains—and stayed hidden for several years.”

“So how did you dare come out later?” Wei Qian asked.

Shi Songlin: “On one hand, many years had passed since then. On the other hand, during those years hiding in the mountains, I happened to find a small ancient tomb, so… I got some treasures.

I planned to take them out to exchange for money, then have plastic surgery. That way, no one could recognize me, and I could return to a normal life.

Life in the mountains was really… too hard.”

“Heh, you really got lucky,” Wei Qian sneered.

Hiding in the mountains and actually finding a treasure-filled ancient tomb.

Shi Yi frowned and looked at him. “Do you know who those people were?”

Shi Songlin shook his head.

But then he added, “However, I felt something was a bit strange about them.”

“What was strange?”

“I can’t really explain it well. One time, I saw one of them carrying some things in his pocket that ordinary people wouldn’t have.”

“What kind of things?”

“One was something made of copper coins strung together. There was also a small bell and an eight-sided mirror. The mirror didn’t look like a normal one—it had a golden-yellow color, with a Yin-Yang symbol and many patterns I couldn’t understand.”

At the time, it felt very unusual, so he looked twice and was even slapped by that person.

Because of that, the memory stuck with him deeply.

Hearing this, Shi Yi and Wei Qian both furrowed their brows tightly.

That was indeed quite strange.

“Do you know why they took my mom away?”

“That… I really don’t know,” Shi Songlin said cautiously, looking at Shi Yi.

From his eyes, Shi Yi knew he wasn’t lying.

After all, Shi Songlin was just a trivial errand runner. Those people certainly wouldn’t tell him anything.

They must have chosen him because of his identity as Shi family’s driver.

That way, they could secretly take someone away from the Shi family without anyone suspecting.

But…

Who exactly were those people?

Why did they take my mom?

Shi Yi raised his thick brows and looked at Shi Songlin again.

“Where was the place you made the deal at?”

Since Shi Songlin got off the highway, there was no surveillance, and the car he drove away in was destroyed, so the investigation lost its lead.

The police widened their search but found nothing.

Because of this, Shi Yi still didn’t know where exactly his parents disappeared from.

“Phoenix Ridge in Qingcheng.”

Phoenix Ridge in Qingcheng?

Shi Yi’s eyes darkened slightly.

That place is a primitive mountain ridge, high and densely forested, with complicated terrain. Even locals who enter there can easily get lost.

No wonder the investigation back then made no progress.

Shi Songlin drove the car toward that area. It’s vast and sparsely populated, so it’s really hard to attract attention.

If those people took his parents into that place, finding them would be very difficult.

Of course, they might have only picked them up there and then moved them somewhere else.

But if that were the case, searching would be even more like looking for a needle in a haystack.

In other words, the trail would be completely cut off.

The world is so big, who knows where they could have taken them?

“Wei Qian, take him to the exact place where the deal was made back then. Bring more people and see if you can find any clues.

In addition, have someone look for those three items he mentioned earlier, to find out what exactly they are.”

“Yes, boss!”

Shi Yi looked up at the pitch-black night sky.

Mom, Dad, where are you exactly?

No matter what, I will definitely find you!

I hope you are still alive and well.

But if…

If not,

I will bring you back and give you a proper burial.

And those who took you—none of them will survive!