Lucky Golden Dragon in the 80s: My Dad? I Switched Him for a Better One novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Time to Close the Net

She walked on the sidewalk, the straps of her schoolbag digging into her shoulders, her peripheral vision scanning the cars parked at the street corner.

A black sedan was parked quietly in the shade of a tree. Its window was halfway down, the reflection on the glass showing a blurry human figure.

She pretended to bend down and tie her shoelace. Her movements were slow and natural, her fingers lightly fiddling with the knot. A glance from the corner of her eye revealed it—a black car was inching along behind her, the crack in its window filled with eyes.

There were people in the driver’s and passenger’s seats, and two more sat in the back. One of them seemed to be holding a notebook, head down, writing something.

Not just one person, but several, and their expressions were all malicious.

’So many ill intentions gathered in one place... anyone would be on alert.’

She stood up, brushed the dust from her knees, and continued walking forward, her expression as normal as ever.

’Now that I know what they’re up to, it’s time to stop being polite.’

She had noticed something was off long ago. For the past few days, she had deliberately acted unguarded, all to lure the snake out of its hole.

Now that they had finally shown themselves, it was time to put her plan into action.

’Time to close the net.’

That day, Shanshan specifically hailed a cab.

She had contacted a reliable friend in advance to help with arrangements, confirming that the details of the pickup vehicle were correct.

She hailed a cab at the intersection, looking relaxed as she walked toward the taxi on the side of the road, its "For Hire" sign lit up.

"Driver, to the city center hospital, please. Thanks."

The driver was a middle-aged man who looked quite ordinary. He wore an old jacket, his hair was slightly graying, and at first glance, he seemed like a regular cabbie.

But with a single glance, she caught the vicious look he shot her from the rearview mirror.

His fingers tapped twice on the door frame, as if sending a signal.

She feigned getting into the car with a slight sway of her body. The moment the tip of her foot touched the step, she abruptly sidestepped, using the crowd as cover, and retracted her leg with lightning speed.

She darted into a convenience store at the mouth of a nearby alley, slipped out the back door where an accomplice was already waiting, and quickly left the scene.

The driver, along with the suspicious gang in the tailing car behind them, completely failed to notice that she had never gotten in at all.

They only saw the car door close and the engine start. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

The car behind them slowly pulled out, maintaining its distance as it followed, ready to execute the next phase of their plan.

This was the moment they had been waiting for. The instant the car started moving, their operation began.

The primary car sped toward the predetermined section of the road and deliberately slammed into the guardrail at a turn, creating the illusion of a violent collision.

The airbags deployed, a muffled THUD sounded from inside the car, and parts went flying. The scene was utterly convincing.

Many people at the school gate had seen Shanshan get into that taxi with their own eyes.

Not long after, a loud BANG! echoed, and everyone froze.

The police cordoned off the scene. The preliminary judgment was a traffic accident, and they were investigating the driver’s identity and the vehicle’s origin.

Ling Anxun didn’t receive the news until later.

He was in a meeting at the time, and his phone was on silent.

His assistant rushed in, pushed the door open, and handed him a note. He glanced at it, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

He sprinted down the hallway, pushed through the crowd, and squeezed past the police tape, asking in a hoarse voice, "Where is she? Where’s Shanshan?"

Meanwhile, the Ling family was in chaos.

When Ding Qin heard the news, she nearly fainted on the spot, barely managing to stay upright by gripping the edge of the sofa with both hands.

Tears streamed from her eyes as she repeatedly muttered, "My Shanshan," on the verge of a complete breakdown.

It was Fu Yuanwu who stabilized the situation. He comforted his wife while quickly using his network of contacts to find out more details, and then rushed to the scene himself.

Seeing his son’s devastated, red-eyed expression, the old man’s heart clenched painfully.

He knew Ling Anxun had always been calm and restrained, never losing his composure in front of others.

"Anxun! Anxun, come here!"

"I’m sorry, Dad. I... I just had a feeling someone was going to make a move on me, so I decided to play along with their plan and get away. I didn’t think it was that dangerous, so I didn’t tell you... I’m really sorry. I was wrong, I’m so sorry..."

Her throat tightened as she stammered out the whole story, tears welling in her eyes.

Ling Anxun held Shanshan’s small, soft body, and the heart that had been lodged in his throat for so long finally, bit by bit, settled back into place. Only then did he slowly loosen his hold.

"As long as you’re okay, nothing else matters."

Ling Anxun didn’t say a single word of reprimand.

She would have preferred that he put on a stern face and lectured her, or even raised a hand to her.

She had no heart to ask about how things were handled afterward, leaving everything for Ling Anxun to resolve.

For the next few days, she simply requested time off from school and didn’t step out of the house, staying home all day to be with her family.

Although Ling Anxun was swamped with work, he tried his best to find time to rush home for a visit every day.

One day, they had arranged to meet at their front door early to go out for dinner together.

Shanshan had specially changed into a new dress she’d bought and carefully combed her hair. She waited at the door for nearly an hour, but there was still no sign of him.

"What’s wrong, Shanshan? You look unhappy."

"Dad’s not here."

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly began to ring.

The old man sitting nearby reached out and picked up the receiver. Shanshan stared intently at the expression on his face.

"Mm, I understand."

"Grandpa! Was that Dad on the phone?"

She shot up from the sofa and rushed over. Fu Yuanwu was taken aback for a moment, glancing at her in surprise.

"How did you know it was Anxun?"