About four or five minutes away from that peaceful retreat tucked in the city’s bustle, Qin Jingzhou took out his phone, ready to give a few “instructions” to the gold-tier assistant sitting in the passenger seat. He paused the phone screen on the profile page put together by the cheap daughter’s Entertainment Agency and asked tersely, “Does she look like me?”
Assistant Wang took the phone, examining it closely. Honestly, the facial features were maybe fifty or sixty percent similar, but the aura was completely different. The girl obviously suffered from low self-esteem, which affected her posture and bearing...
He glanced back again, looking at the young boss for a long moment. After some thought, he decided to just tell the truth. “She does look a bit like you.” But in reality, not so much.
Qin Jingzhou smiled, “You did well.”
Assistant Wang managed to squeeze out a smile. “If you say so, I’ll take it to heart.”
He handed the phone back, thinking: The destructiveness of the young boss's looks is truly terrifying. In front of him, he can't even bring himself to say “no,” which is probably why both the boss and his father, Old Master Xiao, knowing full well it wasn’t good for the young boss to live alone, still let him move out.
Qin Jingzhou deliberately gave his older brother, who had been monitoring Assistant Wang’s call, some time to process things before speaking again two minutes later. “Even if she’s not, I can’t miss this chance. Bro, I heard this girl was sent by her agent to entertain some VIPs.”
Just as he finished, his phone rang. One look at the caller ID showed it was indeed his brother.
Qin Jingzhou answered. His brother’s voice came through, “You go ahead. I’ll catch up in a minute.”
Xiao Jinhai wasn’t worried his little brother couldn’t handle the situation, but he did fear that, regardless of whether this girl was his niece, something could trigger his brother’s condition.
After hanging up, the car slowly pulled up to the entrance.
Once stopped, the bodyguards from the cars in front and behind stepped out, forming up. Their captain came over in person to open the car door.
The original host had liked to wear a mask when going out to hide his stunning looks, but Qin Jingzhou wasn’t about to keep up that little habit: The original host wanted to be known for more than just his face—so what was the point of hiding it?
He got out, calmly buttoning his suit before striding confidently into the lobby, surrounded by bodyguards, assistants, and lawyers. This was just as the club manager appeared by the fire escape near the front desk.
Qin Jingzhou stood still, waiting as the manager hurried over and asked nervously, “Little Master Xiao, are you here to see Young Master Zuo?”
“Eldest Master Xiao” naturally referred to the original host’s brother, Xiao Jinhai. As for the other person, the mentioned Young Master Zuo, whose name was Zuo Rongcheng, was the original host’s cousin’s son.
Before leaving, the system had already reminded Qin Jingzhou about this: When the cheap daughter had her accident, the original host’s cousin was present as well.
Of course, at first this cousin hadn’t realized he was witnessing his own cousin being killed by a group of scum. When he learned the truth, he struggled internally but ultimately chose to cover up for the culprits, hoping to curry favor with that so-called Fate’s Son.
But Fate’s Son had “ingratitude” carved into his very bones. Just look at what happened to the cheap daughter—he performed a ritual over her corpse, so he must have recognized who she was.
The cousin’s end was likewise unpleasant... But maybe not living to see the Interstellar Pirate Invasion of Blue Star wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Qin Jingzhou nodded slightly. “Take me to him, please.”
The manager had no intention of hiding Young Master Zuo’s whereabouts. “Please follow me, Little Master Xiao.”
Just as Qin Jingzhou had said, he played his part thoroughly: Upon seeing a girl on a video site who looked like him, suspecting her origins, he asked his brother for help and brought Assistant Wang to find her. But the question was, how would he have known she was at this club?
Because Young Master Zuo had posted on social media that someone had recommended a few pretty girls and he was having fun at the usual spot today—with a photo pointing out that the “someone” was this girl’s agent.
Qin Jingzhou didn’t even have to make up a story.
Young Master Zuo and his gang of playboy friends were in the club’s most luxurious private room, with Zuo’s assistant outside the door, head down, absorbed in his phone.
The little assistant suddenly sensed something was off and looked up, just in time to see the expressionless Qin Jingzhou approaching. Instantly terrified, he shot to his feet.
Qin Jingzhou didn’t wait for him to speak. He kicked the private room door open.
With a loud “bang,” the door flew inward, and a collection of faces turned toward him. The cheap daughter, bathed in tears, was being pulled by several glassy-eyed rich brats—he’d arrived just in time, as the girl’s dress was only a bit rumpled.
Grabbing a wine bottle from nearby, Qin Jingzhou hurled it at his wide-eyed cousin Zuo Rongcheng’s head.
Zuo Rongcheng didn’t even dare dodge. He watched as the bottle grazed his temple and shattered against the wall behind him. Glass splinters bounced off his forehead, leaving a gash. Blood began to stream along his brow and eye socket, but he still didn’t dare move. Trembling, he stammered out a greeting, “Little Uncle.”
Qin Jingzhou ignored him and raised his fist, punching one of the guys still clutching his daughter. The man howled, let go, and fell back, clutching his face.
Qin Jingzhou stepped forward, taking his daughter’s wrist with a simple explanation. “Don’t be afraid, Daddy’s here for you.”
The cheap daughter looked up with wide eyes, staring at him in disbelief, lost for words.
When those people had grabbed her just now, she’d struggled with all her might. But now that he held her, she simply let it happen.
Qin Jingzhou had a feeling this was another adorable daughter, so his voice gentled. “Come here, be good. Come to Daddy.”
She really did as he said, coming forward two steps.
He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, and she instinctively leaned in a little closer.
The system chuckled. “This opening is as impressive as ever.”
Qin Jingzhou gently put his arm around her shoulders, casting a cold glance at the still-stunned Zuo Rongcheng, then turned and left.
He’d entered with thunder, and left with it too. It took a full five minutes after he disappeared for someone in the room to finally speak, “We’re screwed...”
Zuo Rongcheng wiped the blood from his forehead, “Relax, none of you will die. My uncle is actually pretty reasonable.” Then he turned to the pimping agent. “But I’ll probably lose a couple parts, so I definitely won’t let you off.”
The agent curled up in a shaking ball, too frightened to speak.
Meanwhile, in the elevator lobby, Qin Jingzhou quickly explained to the cheap daughter how he’d figured out who she was. Then they took the elevator back to the lobby—just as Big Brother Xiao hurried in.
The Xiao brothers looked nearly identical, but with slight differences in scale and arrangement: Big Brother Xiao Jinhai was simply a handsome man, while Little Brother Xiao was breathtakingly beautiful.
As for the cheap daughter, she was maybe sixty or seventy percent similar to Xiao Jingzhou... In fact, she looked even more like Uncle Xiao Jinhai than her own father.
So Xiao Jinhai was stunned the moment he saw her.
To be honest, he’d always thought his brother must be grasping at straws if he could recognize his daughter from an online ad, but since his brother insisted, he’d gone along with it. Now, seeing her in person, he had to admit, “Turns out you really do have a sharp eye, little brother.”
Qin Jingzhou smiled and introduced, “This is your uncle.”
The cheap daughter had already had a good look at Xiao Jinhai and greeted him softly, “Uncle.”
Xiao Jinhai smiled and said, “Good. We’ll talk at home.” He turned to Assistant Wang. “Did you take note of everyone in the suite?”
Assistant Wang answered promptly, “Got them all.”
Xiao Jinhai’s smile didn’t waver, and his voice remained calm. “If I don’t make those kids pay, I’m not a Xiao.”
Qin Jingzhou patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Want your uncle to get justice for you?”
The cheap daughter was still a bit shaken. “My mind is a mess. I...” Confronted by such perfection of a face, she struggled not to stutter. “I... want to call my brother. We’re twins.”
Qin Jingzhou had already planned to collect both son and daughter at once. “Alright, tell your brother to come home too.”
The cheap daughter lowered her head again, “I... left my phone in the suite.”
Qin Jingzhou chuckled. “Daddy will have someone get it for you.”
With just a look from Xiao Jinhai, a bodyguard headed for the elevators.
Five minutes later the bodyguard was back, with Zuo Rongcheng and the pimp-agent in tow.
But the moment Zuo Rongcheng saw his big uncle standing there in the lobby, his knees gave out and he collapsed straight to the floor. The agent... whether better or worse, immediately turned and fled.
At that moment, Assistant Wang pulled up, holding his phone in front of Xiao Jinhai. The screen displayed a screenshot of the social post where Zuo Rongcheng was “having fun.”
One glance at the image and Xiao Jinhai was so angry he actually laughed. He didn’t believe Zuo Rongcheng knew the girl’s real identity, but he was sure the brat deliberately picked her because she resembled his brother.
He strode up and aimed a kick at Zuo Rongcheng’s head.
This time, Zuo Rongcheng didn’t dare take it. He twisted aside so the kick hit his shoulder, but it was clear big uncle was serious. Curling up and clutching his head, he howled, “Uncle, I know I messed up! I really know! I’ll come clean about everything! Uncle, just don’t hit my head—anywhere else is fine!”
Xiao Jinhai made to kick again, but the cheap daughter rushed over and grabbed his wrist. “Uncle... not in public... Just let it go.”
Looking at her face, especially her pleading expression, his anger dissipated by half.
Just as he doubted Zuo Rongcheng had meant well, he also believed his niece hadn’t really suffered—otherwise, neither she nor his brother could be this calm... On second thought, her calm was probably responsible for his brother’s calm too.
So Xiao Jinhai quickly managed a smile. “Alright, whatever you say.”
The cheap daughter squinted a little and, taking off the suit jacket, walked back to Qin Jingzhou, got her phone from the bodyguard, and immediately called her twin. “Brother, I found Dad! Our biological father! He’s so good-looking!”
The cheap son, who was out delivering food, felt nothing but confusion. “Huh?”