Chapter 885: Successor Plan

Tao Yueyue looked at Zhou Xiao in shock. “I… I don’t understand. What do I have to do with Zhou Tiannan?”

“Take a guess.”

Tao Yueyue first thought about not having a father and her mother being a sex worker. Could Zhou Tiannan be her father? No, that couldn’t be. There couldn’t be such a bizarre twist.

She shook her head.

“Do you remember the orphanage?” Zhou Xiao asked.

Tao Yueyue’s eyes widened. After becoming an orphan, she had indeed stayed in a welfare home for a short period before being adopted by a man claiming to be a friend of Song Lang.

“That orphanage was secretly funded by the teacher,” Zhou Xiao calmly revealed the shocking truth. “When I let you go on a whim, the teacher scolded me harshly. But it was too late to eliminate you then; you were under police protection. The teacher secretly arranged for the orphanage staff to take you away. After all, if a child died in an orphanage, no one would suspect anything. However, you showed extraordinary talent there. The other children ganged up on you, but you used cunning to fight back, and those who bullied you all suffered losses. The teacher saw this and found a gem. He changed his mind; instead of killing you, he wanted to groom you to join us.”

Tao Yueyue suddenly remembered that after she had retaliated against her classmates in the orphanage, there was always a kind-looking uncle who talked to her, subtly encouraging more extreme measures.

At that young age, her memory was already fragmented. She only recalled the sunlight through the office window, the uncle’s white smile, and the cigar always in his hand.

Zhou Xiao spread his hands. “Then, some do-gooder driver came and insisted on adopting you. His paperwork was legitimate, so we had to let you go. But the teacher intended to turn you into an orphan again. We secretly observed this driver and discovered through some clues that he was actually Song Lang, who had been screwed over by us. No wonder he was determined to adopt you—he wanted to protect the little witness. Song Lang was lucky. He didn’t just stay a driver; he helped the police with their cases. We couldn’t touch him because he was too close to the police. ‘Low-profile living’ was always the teacher’s principle. But you didn’t disappoint the teacher. In middle school, you were still a little viper. Your talents were extraordinary. The teacher liked you so much that he even quit his previous job and transferred to your school to personally guide you. Unfortunately, the teacher met with an accident, and the successor plan was shelved.”

As she listened, Tao Yueyue’s clenched fists were drenched in sweat. These people had secretly influenced her upbringing.

Zhou Xiao’s eyes glowed as he spoke, “Tao Yueyue, we both know your true nature. Your talents are exceptional. Kindness is a hypocritical contract for the weak. True strength lies in not abiding by such nonsense. Do you want to be a sheep or a wolf? Only I can guide you to the role you truly want to play!”

Tao Yueyue finally spoke, her voice trembling with fear, “You want to make me your accomplice?”

“More than that.”

“While I’m missing, Uncle Chen doesn’t know I’ve been in contact with you. Will you let me go back as your undercover agent?”

Zhou Xiao looked up at the sky, “Teacher, this child is truly smart. She gets it immediately. You were right about her!”

Despite feeling terrified by Zhou Xiao’s intentions, Tao Yueyue clung to the hope of returning home. “What do you plan to teach me? I can’t stay out for too long, or Uncle Chen will get suspicious.”

“Don’t rush. Teacher Zhou’s lessons take time to digest. Why did you run away from home?”

“I… I caused a classmate’s death.”

Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Tell me about it.”

Tao Yueyue briefly explained, speaking with a tense and emotionless tone.

After listening, Zhou Xiao said, “So you’re returning because you saw the news and realized he didn’t die because of you?”

She nodded.

“Do you know who pushed Liang Zuoming into the road?”

“You?”

“It was me! Your plan was too stupid. I had to intervene by killing your target first.”

From his exaggerated gestures, Tao Yueyue sensed a lie. It couldn’t have been him. Zhou Xiao was busy committing other crimes at the time; he wouldn’t have had the time to focus on a child’s petty revenge.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

Zhou Xiao leaned closer, making her flinch. He ruffled her hair, “You’re such a good girl. No wonder the teacher liked you.” Then, putting an arm around her shoulder, he whispered, “The lessons I’ll give you will be invaluable, helping you discover your true self. Aren’t you excited?”

Tao Yueyue’s entire body tensed with fear. Her hand found a rock under the sand, but she didn’t dare to fight back now. Zhou Xiao wasn’t just any criminal; he was a true demon.

Zhou Xiao stood up and kicked sand over the fire to extinguish it. “Let’s go! I’ll take you back.”

Tao Yueyue had no choice but to follow him to the old van. As she watched the city lights through the window, tears streamed down her face. She longed to go home but knew she had to endure and wait for the right moment.

Maybe this ordeal was heaven’s punishment for what she had done to Liang Zuoming.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Zhou Xiao drove the van through familiar and unfamiliar streets. Along the way, they passed police officers on patrol, but they didn’t suspect the old van. Zhou Xiao asked, “Do you know how much my bounty is?”

“The news said it was twenty thousand…”

“That’s just the police reward. Victims’ families have posted a bounty online: forty thousand for information, two hundred thousand for my capture. And that’s nothing compared to the underworld bounty—it’s astronomical. I even want to collect it myself!” Zhou Xiao laughed, as if the bounties were a testament to his worth.

It was late at night when they reached a bustling street. Zhou Xiao parked and told Tao Yueyue to follow him.

She walked behind him, thinking they might look like an ordinary father and daughter to passersby. She considered running into a dark alley but knew Zhou Xiao would catch her.

As they passed a fruit stand, Zhou Xiao swiped an apple, wiped it on his shirt, and took a bite without looking back. “If you run, many people here will die.”

“I… I won’t run.”

Zhou Xiao stopped at a stall selling mice, crouched, and started playing with the chubby little rodents in a cage. He tossed the apple core to them and turned to Tao Yueyue, “Come here and pick four mice!”