Chapter 256 Fate or Man-Made?

Ye Yongsheng cautiously cradled the urn, his face full of grief as he slowly walked towards a business van. Zhao Yanan, on the other hand, was dragged up by a few bodyguards and thrown back into the vehicle.

Standing beside the van was a man, eagerly opening the door for Ye Yongsheng, his face filled with flattery. After Ye Yongsheng got into the van, holding the urn tightly in his arms, he rolled down the window and looked at the man, his tone cold: "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that Tianyi died here."

The man laughed awkwardly, "Mr. Ye, you're being too polite... It was my duty..."

Ye Yongsheng gave a faint smile and said, "For five million, you betrayed Chu Haoran. Have you considered the consequences?"

The man remained calm and said, "I'll be going abroad tonight. My fiancée... she's Japanese. I'll settle in Japan..."

Ye Yongsheng replied, "Chu Haoran isn't stingy, is he? He trusted you so much. Were you really worried you wouldn't make enough money? Maybe not five million, but it's better than living your life on the run, isn't it?"

The man stammered, "It's not really about the money... Chu Haoran, that guy... He may act like a gentleman, but it's all just a front! A few days ago, he personally shot one of his men who betrayed him. I was there. Those men had been with him for years, and yet he showed no mercy! I... I was truly scared. It was only a matter of time before it happened to me..."

Ye Yongsheng smiled coldly, "So, you were one of the traitors by his side, and it's just that he hadn't found you out yet, right?"

The man froze, suddenly realizing he had said too much, and fell silent.

Ye Yongsheng let out a cold snort and said icily, "I'll burn the rest of your payment for you. People like you are just wasting air by being alive."

The man's eyes widened in shock, "Mr. Ye, you... you..."

Ye Yongsheng responded calmly, "I come from the underworld. The thing I hate the most is betrayal."

With that, he rolled up the window and ordered the driver to leave.

The man was executed on the spot by one of Ye Yongsheng's bodyguards.

Elsewhere, Chu Yuxuan was still searching aimlessly for clues, while Lao Wu's fingers were flying over the keyboard, meticulously combing through the numerous surveillance videos. The number of potential routes was decreasing, and the findings were being shared in real time with Chu Yuxuan and Chu Haoran.

When Chu Haoran saw that one of the routes led toward the coastline, right past his "slaughterhouse," a dreadful thought suddenly struck him—Ye Tianyi had once pursued Zhao Yanan, but to no avail. Could it be that Ye Yongsheng planned to sacrifice Zhao Yanan as a live offering?

Though the thought was absurd, Ye Yongsheng was of an age where superstition often crept in. It wasn't entirely impossible that he might resort to such measures.

With this in mind, he hurriedly called Chu Yuxuan.

After receiving the news, Chu Yuxuan immediately pulled the handbrake, made a sharp U-turn, and sped toward the meatpacking plant. At the same time, he called his brothers to head there as well. Based on Chu Zhiqing's previous analysis of Ye Yongsheng, he had to agree with Chu Haoran's speculation.

Chu Haoran was already nearby and arrived at the meatpacking plant within ten minutes. Upon entering the yard, he saw the remnants of burned paper money and clothes, as well as the body of one of his trusted bodyguards. He immediately understood everything and confirmed his suspicions. But where was Zhao Yanan?

Just as he was about to call Chu Yuxuan, the sound of a GTR drifting through the gates echoed in.

The brothers exchanged glances. Chu Yuxuan saw that Zhao Yanan wasn't there, and his expression darkened even more.

"She should be fine. He's taken her away..." Chu Haoran examined the burned incense and paper money on the ground, pondering aloud, "He's likely following some kind of superstition. Superstitions often have requirements for specific times and places, so Yanan should be safe for now."

Chu Yuxuan gritted his teeth and looked down at the fresh tire marks beneath his feet. He followed the tracks out of the gate, observing the direction in which the vehicle had gone.

Due to the remote location of the meatpacking plant and the heavy rain from the previous day, the road outside the plant was riddled with potholes and mud, leaving clear tire tracks.

Chu Haoran frowned, "It looks like they're heading toward the coast. The nearest place where they could dock a boat is about half an hour away by car. That old dog isn't trying to flee directly; he's heading south, intending to reach the waters around Blue Sea City to avoid our blockade, then make a roundabout escape to Thailand!"

He quickly took out his phone to notify Chu Zhiqing, hoping his men could converge on that section of the coast. But time was running out; Chu Zhiqing's men were stationed at known escape routes for smuggling, which were still some distance away.

The entire southeastern side of Jiangcheng bordered the sea. Even with Chu Zhiqing's forces, it was impossible to block every route. If the police couldn't shut down all smuggling operations in Jiangcheng, how could they?

Chu Yuxuan glanced at the nearly burned-out incense on the ground. This meant Ye Yongsheng had left at least ten minutes ago. Moreover, the road was so rough that the low clearance of his GTR made it difficult to drive fast. Catching up in time seemed impossible.

But he refused to give up. Desperate to save his wife, Chu Yuxuan sped off, regardless of the uneven road. The GTR bounced and scraped along the bumpy path, its undercarriage clattering noisily. Fortunately, his driving skills held up, and despite the car taking a beating, he pressed on, not caring about the damage.

As he raced, his heart pounded in his chest. Normally, he believed in "man-made destiny," but for the first time, he found himself silently praying to the heavens for a chance.

Yet, heaven had never shown him any mercy.

A b*st*rd child of a wealthy family, his father had remarried the day he was born, and he was never welcome in the family. Just as he finally managed to live with his mother and escape that luxurious prison, she passed away, and he endured unimaginable abuse.

Perhaps surviving had already used up all his luck...

Chu Yuxuan took a deep breath, his breathing unsteady, trembling as if on the verge of a breakdown. He muttered like a madman, "Heavens, my hands are stained with blood. I know I'll end up in hell to atone. If you think I'm not even worthy of hell, then punish me. Cut me to pieces, grind me into dust, whatever you want! Just... don't hurt her, don't hurt her...

"She didn't do anything wrong! The only mistake she made was marrying me. Punish me! I beg you, heavens!"

But heaven always seemed to enjoy playing cruel jokes.

Just as he was nearing the coast, his car finally gave out, stalling on the road.

Chu Yuxuan frantically tried to restart the car, but it wouldn't respond.

After all, it was just a delicate GTR, not a magical steed like Liu Bei's Dilu Horse.

"Dammit!"

He slammed the steering wheel in frustration, then immediately jumped out of the car and ran toward the shore.

He was racing against time, and against fate itself.

After sprinting for three or four minutes, he finally caught sight of the ocean. At the same time, he spotted three cars parked near the shore.

Running further, a luxurious yacht came into view.

This time, heaven had finally chosen to help him.