Huo Shaoheng's phone rang for a long time, but no one picked up.
Gu Nianzhi didn't hang up as usual, but left him a message: "Uncle Huo, it's Nianzhi. I had my 18th birthday yesterday, did you come yesterday? "
After leaving the message, Gu Nianzhi went to the bathroom to shower.
She hadn't showered at He Zhichu's house yesterday, and had only dried her hair and washed her feet.
After showering, she blow-dried her hair and went to sleep.
She was fully recovered the next day, and woke up early to work at the Appropriations Committee.
At noon, she went to see Brother Huang at the Committee for Freedom of Ocean Travel, only to discover that he was on sick leave!
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. Even her direct confrontation with the pirates hadn't called in sick, but Brother Huang had …
She gave him a call. "Senior Brother Huang, what's wrong? I heard you're sick? "
Brother Huang was sleeping in his apartment, wrapped in blankets. He heard his phone ring and picked it up, groaning: "Nianzhi? I did all of this for you. I almost lost my life for your birthday, do you know that? "
Gu Nianzhi remembered the speedboat, and was surprised: "… What's wrong? I heard from Professor He that you're okay? "
"My body's fine, but my mind's in shock." Brother Huang had never experienced such a thrilling experience in his life. Being held to the head by several strong black men had scared him to the point of wetting his pants …
"… Then rest well." Gu Nianzhi could only comfort him: "Why don't you tell me what happened? Maybe you'll feel better if you tell me. "
Brother Huang was about to confide in someone, but quickly said: "I still don't know what happened! We were supposed to go on a cruise, but that van dragged us to an empty house and tied us up. I thought I was going to die the whole afternoon, I missed my wife and family so much I was going crazy! "
"Brother Huang, it's okay, it's okay. Professor He won't let you suffer for nothing." Gu Nianzhi's heart leaped, "But wasn't Teaching Assistant Wen the one who arranged for that van? Including the speedboat … "
"It was her, but she couldn't guarantee we wouldn't run into bandits." Senior Brother Huang expressed his understanding. "Barbados is a small country with average law and order. With such a large group of pirates, there's nothing they can do. Then Professor He found someone, and the Barbados police rescued us. "She then wailed," But I'm still scared! Even now, I can't sleep normally. Every time I close my eyes, I feel the cold barrel of the gun pointed at my head! "
Gu Nianzhi comforted him a bit more and discreetly asked for more details before hanging up. "Brother Huang, rest well. I'll bring you good food tonight."
For the entire day, Gu Nianzhi had been thinking about the pirates. She really wanted to know who the culprit was.
If it was Wen Shouyi, why would she want him dead?
If it wasn't her, then who was it? What was his motive?
However, after thinking about it for a whole day, she still felt that there were too few clues. Other than Wen Shouyi, who was the most suspicious, she basically couldn't think of anyone else.
Moreover, she did not have any evidence to prove that Wen Shouyi did it. On the contrary, because she had taken a bullet for her, she could no longer express her emotions to Wen Shouyi as freely as before.
So in the end, Gu Nianzhi let it go.
She wasn't the type to dwell on a dead end.
If she couldn't figure it out, then she wouldn't think about it for now. She was alive and well, and the person who should be furious was the person who had spent 10 million US dollars to buy her life.
Gu Nianzhi shrugged and put it all to the back of her mind.
When she returned to the apartment that night, she and Zhao Liangze brought food to Brother Huang.
Zhao Liangze also took the opportunity to ask Brother Huang a lot of information.
Zhao Liangze was a professional and asked many details that Gu Nianzhi had overlooked.
When they returned to their apartment, Zhao Liangze frowned at Gu Nianzhi. "Which one of us has an enemy in Barbados? You or me? "
"Why do you say that?" Gu Nianzhi propped her chin up and widened her eyes like a curious baby.
"According to what Brother Huang just said, the culprit needed a lot of connections in Barbados. Do you think any random person would be able to pull off a crime like this in the capital of Barbados? " Zhao Liangze ruffled Gu Nianzhi's hair. "Don't even think about it. Leave it to us to investigate."
"I think Professor He should be the one to investigate," Gu Nianzhi said quietly. "He's lost too much."
She remembered Wen Shouyi saying that He Zhichu had bought the cruise ship specifically for them. It was brand new, but now it had sunk.
There might even have been compensation for the guests. No matter how she looked at it, He Zhichu should be the most furious.
"He'll definitely investigate it too." Zhao Liangze returned to his computer desk. "I'll tell Big Xiong about the new situation."
Gu Nianzhi refused to leave and dawdled for a while. She asked in a roundabout way, "Brother Ze, where are Big Xiong and the others?"
Zhao Liangze paused and turned to look at her with a smile. "Why are you asking?"
"Didn't you say they went to Cuba? It'll take more than a day or two to get a nuclear submarine back, right? "Gu Nianzhi looked at him eagerly." Then Uncle Huo … "
"Oh, you want to ask Huo Shao?" Zhao Liangze's eyes flashed with mockery. "Huo Shao and Big Xiong have already returned to the Huaxia Empire."
"They've already returned?" Gu Nianzhi was shocked. "That fast?"
"Yes, something happened in the Empire. They left on a private plane." Zhao Liangze relayed Big Xiong's words.
However, Big Xiong didn't know what Huo Shaoheng was doing.
As soon as they returned to the Huaxia Empire, Huo Shaoheng was summoned by the supreme commander of the military, General Ji. It was said that he was carrying out a top-secret military mission.
In reality, Huo Shaoheng was placed in detention by General Ji.
In order to maintain Huo Shaoheng's authority, only a few people knew about this, including General Ji himself, Speaker Long of the Senate, and Huo Shaoheng's father, Huo Guanchen, the director of the military's Political Department.
Two months, not a day less.
Everyone in the military knew that detention was very unpleasant. Although it wasn't corporal punishment, it was worse than corporal punishment.
The loneliness of being cut off from the world and having no one to talk to could sometimes drive people crazy.
But Huo Shaoheng was an exception.
Confinement was also part of their training for the Special Operations Forces.
That was why General Ji placed Huo Shaoheng in detention as a warning rather than a punishment.
Huo Shaoheng didn't argue and went to the detention room alone.
He was a Major General and couldn't let anyone know that he was in detention. Therefore, his detention room was a small room that General Ji had temporarily prepared.
It had its own kitchen and bathroom, a bed, a desk, a computer with no internet access, and a large cabinet of books and files.
He couldn't go online for the next two months, but he could read.
The books and files were enough to kill two months of his time.
Of course, his phone, tablet, and other things were confiscated and couldn't be brought in.
General Ji personally guarded him and supervised his confinement.
With such high standards, Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze definitely wouldn't be able to get any specific information.
Gu Nianzhi didn't receive any calls from Huo Shaoheng. She sighed in relief when she heard that he was carrying out a top-secret military mission.
But she also felt a little regretful.
It was her 18th birthday, and she didn't even hear Uncle Huo say "Happy Birthday" to her …
Gu Nianzhi returned to her room and took a shower. She changed into her pajamas and went to bed.
She was going to watch the news for a while before going to bed when her phone rang.
Gu Nianzhi looked at the caller ID and saw that it was He Zhichu.
She hesitated for a moment, then swiped her finger to answer the call.
"Hello, Professor He." Gu Nianzhi greeted him politely.
He Zhichu pursed his lips, phone in hand as he looked out the window at the rushing Potomac River. His voice was cool as he asked, "Nianzhi, are you feeling better?"
Gu Nianzhi nodded, "I'm fine, I've been fine for a long time. I even went to the Capitol today to listen in on the debate."
"I'm glad you're fine." He Zhichu didn't know what else to say. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Nianzhi, your parents are no longer around. Why do you keep changing guardians?"
Gu Nianzhi was speechless.
She also hesitated for a moment before replying dryly, "That's all in the past. I'm 18 now and can make my own decisions. I don't need a guardian anymore."
Gu Nianzhi suddenly came to a realization when she said this.
She was 18 years old and legally able to bear full legal responsibility. That meant she really didn't need a guardian anymore.
So she no longer had any reason or standing to interact with Huo Shaoheng?
Gu Nianzhi suddenly felt panicked and didn't know what to do.
It was like standing in a sea of people. Everyone walked past her, but she didn't recognize a single person.
Gu Nianzhi hugged the panda pillow and shrunk deeper into the bed. She wanted to bury her entire body behind the pillow.
He Zhichu saw that Gu Nianzhi didn't want to answer his question, so he didn't continue asking. Gu Nianzhi said she didn't need a guardian anymore. She probably meant she would have more autonomy in her life in the future?
He Zhichu quietly looked out the window at the Potomac River, his shimmering, sultry eyes sparkling in the mid-autumn night. He took a deep breath and decided to hang up, "Ok, I'll let you know directly if there's anything in the future."
"Ok." Gu Nianzhi gripped the phone and buried her face in the pillow. She asked in a low, muffled voice, "Professor He, did you find out who the pirates were?"
He Zhichu shook his head, "They're all dead. How can I find out?"
"But they took hostages in Barbados. Can't we find out?" Gu Nianzhi didn't understand. With He Zhichu's ability and influence, he should have found out something.
"Barbados isn't the United States. My hands aren't that long. "He Zhichu smiled bitterly," Nianzhi, do you think I'm omnipotent? "
"Of course not." Gu Nianzhi blurted out, completely unaware that He Zhichu's face had darkened on the other end of the line.
She said, "I know they committed a crime on international waters and took hostages in Barbados. It's not easy to find out. But they destroyed Professor He's cruise ship. It's such a huge loss. Don't you want to find out who's behind it and compensate them? They paid 10 million US dollars for our lives. That means the mastermind is rich. "
He Zhichu's mood was ruined by Gu Nianzhi's "of course not." He wanted to sneer but tried his best to hold it in. He said coldly, "It's just a cruise ship. I don't care. Also, the cruise ship was given to you. If you don't care, why should I? "
"Oh? For me? "Gu Nianzhi looked up from the pillow in shock," That cruise ship was really given to me? "
"Of course. Didn't you see the words carved on the cruise ship?" He Zhichu said angrily, "Or did Wen Shouyi not do as I said?"
"Oh, no, no. I saw the words, but I thought Professor He was just being polite …" Gu Nianzhi smiled sheepishly. After all, the words were painted and could be changed at any time.
If the cruise ship was really hers, well, they would have to prove it. For example, whether or not the cruise ship deed was written in her name …
There was no deed and only a few words were painted on the cruise ship. Sorry, she wasn't an ignorant girl who didn't know the law. She couldn't bear this false reputation.
"… I said it's yours. Of course, there's no point in saying it now." He Zhichu didn't harp on the matter. The cruise ship had sunk anyway. The most he could do was ask the insurance company for some insurance money.
Gu Nianzhi rubbed her forehead and shook her head, insisting on opposing He Zhichu's statement, "Professor He, if it's not mine, it's not mine. You can't just say it's mine and carry such a huge gift on my back. I can't bear it."
"You're saying I lied to you?" He Zhichu finally understood what Gu Nianzhi meant. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Angry, he walked back to his study and pulled up the legal documents for the cruise ship from his computer, including the purchase receipt and deed.
However, as soon as he pulled it up, he was speechless.
The name on the deed was still He Zhichu, not Gu Nianzhi.
In other words, Gu Nianzhi wasn't wrong. She didn't want to bear this false reputation.
This cruise ship only had her name painted on it.
He Zhichu couldn't take it anymore. He hung up and kicked over his desk. He immediately called Wen Shouyi, who was already recovering in Boston.
"Wen Shouyi! I asked you to transfer the ownership of the cruise ship to Nianzhi. How dare you disobey? "If Wen Shouyi were standing in front of He Zhichu now, he would have strangled her to death.
Wen Shouyi's heart skipped a beat. She didn't understand why someone would care about the name on the deed when the ship had already sunk.
"Professor He, here's the thing. Nianzhi isn't American. The procedures to transfer the cruise ship to her are very complicated. I'm still waiting for her background check, so …" Wen Shouyi smiled gently. "Professor He, now that the cruise ship is gone, do you still want to transfer it to her? If you do, I can ask the company doing the background check to hurry up and finish it. "
"There's no need. I'll buy her something else for her birthday. " He Zhichu's voice was even colder than ten-thousand-year-old ice. "After you recover, you don't have to be my teaching assistant anymore. I'll make it clear to your family. You don't have to follow me anymore. "
Wen Shouyi closed her eyes. Her hands were trembling, but she didn't argue. She replied gently, "Ok, I'll listen to Professor He." With that, she hung up and fell back onto the bed. She turned around and leaned against the pillow to cover the sound of her choking sobs.
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