Zhong Feng looked calm, but his long elegant fingers tapped lightly on his desk, betraying his anxiety. He picked the call from San Mo with apprehension. He had not received any good news from the private investigator for more than three months. He hoped that there was finally some concrete information to help him find Hu Lei"s whereabouts."What have you found?" He asked without prelude.
"You know I tracked Ms Hu to Babylon. Unfortunately, it was difficult for my military contacts to help me find any information. You know that place is completely lawless." San Mo replied with excitement.
"Get to the point."
"Well, now I finally know why it was impossible to follow her tracks. She stayed in Babylon for only a single night and then one of the gang leaders in the town smuggled her out of the country in a cargo plane. After much searching, I finally discovered that the cargo plane was heading to Russia." San Mo had not at first considered the possibility of the harmless looking girl having underground contacts.
Zhong Feng"s faced shifted slightly at the information. On one hand, he was happy to finally get a solid lead on her whereabouts. On the other hand, he had a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach when he heard that she had gone to Russia.
"Do not worry, boss. From what I could tell, she was not kidnapped." San Mo thought that Zhong Feng was afraid that his girl had been taken against her will.
"Do you want me to keep following up on the case?" San Mo asked when he did not receive a response.
"There is no need." It would be a waste of time when he had a grasp on where she would go.
With that, Zhong Feng cancelled the call and remained in contemplation. He wondered if he was overthinking the situation, but he knew that he could not be wrong. If Hu Le went to Russia, she would have most likely met with Vladimir Romanov.
He had been able to tell from the beginning that their relationship was not shallow. Moreover, he was quite clear on the less savoury dealings that Romanov had been involved in. If Hu Lei was using underground connections, she would definitely reach out to him.
Zhong Feng felt himself become a little sour when he thought that she would trust in that man while she ignored him. He had believed that she trusted him completely because she was always so open and talkative with him. Now, it seemed that he did not understand her at all.
Once he had her back, he would have all the opportunities in the world to know everything about her. He would not let her go until he owned every part of her. But for now, he needed to go to Russia. The rest would come later.
A light knock on his office door broke him out of his thoughts. a.s.sistant Chen opened the door and came in.
"Mr Zhong, there is a man in the building looking for Ms Hu Lei." He spoke his purpose immediately.
Zhong Feng had told him to inform him if anything concerning Hu Lei happened. a.s.sistant Chen was no fool. He had come to understand that the girl was not simply an interpreter to the CEO. Therefore, he had become more diligent in matters that involved her.
"Bring him in." Regardless of his ident.i.ty, he wanted to meet him face to face.
a.s.sistant Chen bowed his head slightly in a.s.sent. Before he could leave, Zhong Feng spoke again.
"Book me the earliest possible ticket to Russia."
He naturally did not need to specify a city because all his business interests in the country were with one Vladimir Romanov. The a.s.sistant felt that his sudden desire to go there was a little strange. However, he did not question the decision.
Bo Qian could not believe that he was actually meeting the famed Zhong Feng. Looking at the man, he could not help feeling intimidated. He looked like a character from an ancient novel, powerful and aloof. In addition, his face seemed as if it had been made personally by the G.o.ds. He felt in awe.
"I understand that you are looking for Hu Lei." Zhong Feng looked at Bo Qian sharply.
"Yes, I found out that she was working here. I had no choice but look for her in person."
"What is your purpose?"
"I cannot speak about specifics, but Ms Hu had a contract with the company I work for. She has failed to fulfil her obligations and now the company wants to sue her for damages." Bo Qian explained vaguely.
Zhong Feng shifted almost imperceptibly in his seat at the words.
"Sit down and explain everything." His cold voice seemed force Bo Qian to comply.
"But…" the man protested weakly.
"It will not take much for me to find out. It would be in your best interest for you to tell me what I want to know."
Bo Qian thought and hesitated for a fraction of a second before sitting down.
"It is like this. I am Bo Qian, and I work as an editor for Dong Chen Publishing. Hu Lei is one of my writers. I don"t know if you have heard of Little Ninja Cat." The man looked at Zhong Feng expectantly.
Zhong Feng remained calm on the outside even though he felt amused by the name. Little Ninja Cat perfectly described his Xiao Lei.
When Zhong Feng did not respond, Bo Qian could only continue.
"About four months ago, one of her books was approved for adaptation into a TV series. She was supposed to do some promotional work and appearances to mark the beginning of the show. Then, she just disappeared without a word." His sadness seemed genuine.
"At first, I was able to keep the bosses from taking action by emphasising on her past credibility and her continuing fame. But now, the investors in the show are pulling out of the deal, and without more drafts of her continuing works, the fans have become outraged."
Bo Qian did not sense any reaction from Zhong Feng. He even wondered whether the man was listening. He could only hope that the powerful man cared enough. After all, he had asked to see him personally. After a long moment of silence, he continued.
"I am really worried about her. I don"t know if Mr Zhong can help." Bo Qian pleaded.
Zhong Feng decided in that instance that he had been foolish in failing to read the investigative report on Hu Lei and looking deep into her life. If he did not know about her completely, how could he hope to find her? Her privacy was not comparable to her well-being.
"I will handle the matter. If there is anything more, my a.s.sistant will get in touch." Zhong Feng finally responded.