Chapter 790 - 789: He Locked Us Down
Chapter 790 - 789: He Locked Us Down
The elevator went directly from the second basement level to the sixth floor. Could an elevator built directly underground mean this building belongs to these people?Sitiang guessed correctly. This building was sold by the developer to a mysterious person five years ago, and later, it was repainted and refurbished. Apart from the load-bearing walls that couldn’t be touched, everything else underwent some changes.
Today, this building looks like an office building from the outside, and indeed, it is an office building.
"The top floor is our boss’s office, but he’s usually not here. A few days ago, after I reported your situation, the boss came here personally," said Zhang Mosheng.
In front of outsiders, he referred to him as the boss.
This is the top floor, and all the people coming and going are dressed in suits. Judging by Zhang Mosheng’s demeanor, these people seemed to be insiders.
There were two doors on the top floor. Zhang Mosheng led them to push open the first door, making a gesture inviting them in at the entrance.
After the three walked in one by one, Zhang Mosheng bent slightly and gently closed the door, standing guard at the entrance.
Sitiang knew that the head of this organization was in this room, but when she saw the person, she was stunned.
Beside the bed, a person in a wheelchair turned himself around, driven by his hands on the wheels. Sitting there was a seventy-something-year-old man, with a calm and kind expression.
"I’m physically inconvenienced, and I apologize for making you come all this way. I should have personally welcomed you," the old man spoke very amiably, naturally earning goodwill.
"Please, all three of you, sit down. Tea is already prepared," the old man said with a smile.
With the end of his words, a man in a Zhongshan suit came in with tea and a fruit plate, set the items down, and then pushed the old man to the table.
"Why don’t we sit and chat over some tea?" the old man noticed the three were silently observing and invited them with a smile, understanding they had many questions.
Sitiang nodded, "Thanks for the trouble."
She and Desan sat down one after the other, and Wei Zhongxun followed suit.
"My name is Qiao Hongjie, and I initiated this incident. I also provided the ancient text," Qiao Hongjie said.
Sitiang, seeing that he was speaking quite sincerely, introduced herself and then introduced Desan and Wei Zhongxun, before saying, "Mr. Qiao, your intentions are different from what we imagined."
Qiao Hongjie smiled, "Indeed, many people think I’m a kidnapper."
Sitiang nodded. When they first entered the warehouse, that’s what they had thought too.
"What was Mr. Qiao’s initial intention?" Desan inquired from the side.
Qiao Hongjie chuckled, "You can just call me Old Qiao. I don’t dare put on airs in front of an old brother."
Upon hearing this, Sitiang was momentarily taken aback, turning to look at Desan. She saw him awkwardly touching his nose, realizing he still had things to hide.
"May I ask, Third Doctor, how old are you this year?" Sitiang raised an eyebrow and asked.
Desan chuckled, "Does it matter?"
Sitiang looked at him, saying nothing.
"Alright, you know, asking someone’s age can be impolite... alright, alright, I’ll say it. This year, I’m... about seventy-seven? I think so, but it’s a virtual age, as I haven’t had my birthday yet."
Sitiang rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of a headache.
Beside her, Wei Zhongxun looked at him in shock. This Old De, who appeared to be in his forties, was actually seventy-seven!
"Mr. De! My dear Mr. De, so you really are a hidden master. I have always had endless admiration for you, so can you share the secret to your agelessness with me? How do you maintain it? What skincare products do you use? Hang on, let me jot this down in my notebook!" Wei Zhongxun said earnestly.
Sitiang: "..."
She cast an awkward glance at Qiao Hongjie and apologized, "I’m sorry, with certain people things can uncontrollably go off track..."
Qiao Hongjie burst into hearty laughter. From the sound, it was clear he was full of vigor, not like someone in poor health, so it must just be a leg problem.
The man in the Zhongshan suit beside him looked slightly surprised. He had taken care of Mr. Qiao for decades, never seeing him laugh so heartily before.
"Are you all always this cheerful together?" Qiao Hongjie said, with a tone of envy, and then continued, "My initial intention was naturally to study this book and hope that more Mystic Doctors could use the Spiritual Talisman, but obviously, today’s development doesn’t quite align with that ambition."
Reaching this stage was unexpected for Qiao Hongjie. At that time, when he comprehended this book, he had once entered that state, but later came out of it himself, so he hadn’t anticipated someone would be deeply trapped in it.
However, due to his original intention, he persistently searched for skilled doctors everywhere and brought them to the local stronghold, despite the needle-in-a-haystack approach, hoping to find someone capable of understanding it.
This way, his doubts could be resolved, and likewise, that person’s illness could be treated.
Sitiang was silent, then said, "Did you anticipate involving so many people?"
Those disappearance cases back then were quite sensational. Although Sitiang hadn’t been here at that time, the current disappearance incident brought the previous ones to light, and she managed to grasp some understanding.
Qiao Hongjie’s smile slightly faded, "Yes, when bringing people here, I gave them the choice to leave or stay. Almost everyone, after reading the book, chose to stay. Even when reading the book, I never forced them."
The profession of Mystic Doctor involves the concept of karmic balance, as a Mystic Doctor, being more powerful than an ordinary doctor, can grant life or control death.
If Qiao Hongjie had indeed forcibly immersed these people, trapping them for so long, it would be a loss of virtue.
But if those people chose voluntarily, it would be a different matter. In this respect, Sitiang had nothing to say—when both parties agreed, what could she do?
"There’s someone named Bei Jiale, I hope you can find and bring him here," Sitiang said.
She wanted to communicate with someone like Qiao Hongjie, who had read the entire book. But now that Bei Jiale was still missing, she couldn’t be at ease.
Qiao Hongjie immediately asked someone to investigate. Whether they were brought over or came on their own, there would be a registration process before entering. Although Sitiang and the others didn’t register when they came in, it would be easy to check their information, as long as they left traces.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Bei, could you do me a favor?" Qiao Hongjie asked.
"What is it?" Sitiang remained very cautious of Qiao Hongjie.
Qiao Hongjie gave a wry smile and placed a photo in front of her, "Could you kindly ask this person to spare us? Because he couldn’t find you, he has blocked several of our bases!"
Sitiang’s gaze landed on the photo, and she couldn’t help but be stunned. Who else could it be in the photo but Luo Xudong?
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