SAG -Chapter 177 Zhao Hu Switches Sides

“Huzi?”

Hearing that familiar voice, Zhao Hu shuddered involuntarily.

He forced out a smile uglier than crying.

“Brother Yong!”

Then he turned to Zhang Ran with a flattering expression and spoke in a low voice,

“Brother Zhang, back then I…”

He wanted to explain himself, but Zhang Ran had no mood to listen.

With a blank expression, Zhang Ran said, “What? Are you going to stop me?”

The indifferent tone made Zhao Hu tremble again.

“No, no, absolutely not. I was just—”

“Then get out of the way,” Zhang Ran interrupted impatiently.

One of Zhao Hu’s underlings, seeing his boss being spoken to like this, was about to lose his temper on the spot.

But Zhao Hu reacted quickly and slapped him across the face.

“Please, please go right in,” Zhao Hu said hurriedly.

Just as Zhang Ran stepped forward, Sun Guilan came out.

“Who is it this time? Why are you making so much noise?”

But when she saw Zhang Ran’s face clearly, she froze.

“Dayong, until we come back out, don’t let anyone leave,” Zhang Ran instructed calmly, not even sparing Sun Guilan another glance.

Then he entered with Meng He.

After observing the situation, Zhao Jingyu followed as well. She simply could not stop worrying about Huo Zhiyuan.

“Aren’t you going to stop him?” Sun Guilan finally came to her senses and shouted at Zhao Hu.

But Zhao Hu no longer had any energy to care about her.

At that moment, all he wanted was to find somewhere to hide.

He had never imagined that despite all his efforts to avoid Zhang Ran, fate would bring them face to face again.

And worse, this time he had personally delivered himself right to Zhang Ran’s doorstep.

Most importantly, Zhao Hu knew one thing:

He had made another mistake.

He had learned about the Goddess of Fate through Tian Yaohui years ago and knew the truth of what had happened.

So he had also known that Zhang Ran had returned.

Still, Zhao Hu believed that as long as he stayed out of Zhang Ran’s sight, Zhang Ran probably wouldn’t bother settling old scores.

After all, although he had betrayed Zhang Ran back then, he hadn’t known much. The person who truly understood Zhang Ran had always been He Yong.

So while Zhao Hu had been worried, he had never reached the point of abandoning everything he had built over the years.

But no matter how carefully he calculated, he never expected that what he thought would be a lucrative job would place him directly opposite Zhang Ran.

And he had chosen the wrong side.

Zhang Siyan remained outside, quietly watching.

The Zhao Hu who had been so arrogant just moments ago now looked like a mouse that had seen a cat upon meeting her father.

For an instant, she had the strange feeling that her father might actually be some underworld boss.

He Yong looked at Zhao Hu.

“You know what to do, right?”

“Yes. Yes, I know.”

Zhao Hu hurriedly instructed his men to block off the area and prevent anyone from leaving.

In reality, the only person they needed to watch was Sun Guilan.

As for Zhao Hu himself, he absolutely dared not run.

If Zhang Ran had never seen him, perhaps Zhang Ran would have ignored him.

But now that they had met face to face, if he tried to flee, Zhang Ran would certainly teach him the consequences.

“Y-you… you…” Sun Guilan was so angry at Zhao Hu’s actions that she could barely speak.

No one paid her any attention.

Seeing the confusion in Zhang Siyan’s eyes, He Yong decided to explain.

“Back then, Zhao Hu worked under Brother Zhang, just like I did. But he eventually betrayed him, so naturally he’s terrified now.”

Zhang Siyan nodded woodenly, as if she had accepted the explanation.

Inside the room, Zhang Ran looked at the bloodless Huo Zhiyuan lying motionless on the bed.

For a moment, his heart ached.

He had rescued this little girl personally and raised her with his own hands.

The lively, cheerful girl who always smiled in front of him had become someone lying in a hospital bed like a living corpse.

“President Huo? President Huo?”

Zhao Jingyu hurried over and called out several times.

There was no response.

Zhang Ran stepped closer.

The beautiful face had matured with age, but traces of her younger self remained unmistakable.

“Mr. Zhang… what should we do now?”

Zhao Jingyu looked at him.

At this point, all her hopes rested on Zhang Ran.

After glancing at her and then at Huo Zhiyuan, Zhang Ran spoke in a low voice:

“Call an ambulance. Transfer her to another hospital.”

“Dahe, use your connections. Find the best medical specialists available. I want answers. At the very least, I want to know why Huo girl fell into a coma.”

Meng He was equally furious.

Both he and his wife, Lin Meizhi, had always treated Huo Zhiyuan like a younger sister.

Seeing her in this state filled him with grief.

“Understood. I’ll arrange everything immediately.”

Just then, loud shouting erupted outside once more.

Not only did it fail to quiet down, but it grew increasingly intense.

At the entrance, Huo Li and Huo San had arrived.

Huo Li stared at Zhao Hu with a dark expression.

“Brother Hu, what exactly are you doing?”

Zhao Hu shrugged.

“Nothing much.”

“We had an agreement!”

“That was then. This is now.”

His answer was blunt and shameless.

Huo Li nearly exploded with anger.

He couldn’t understand why Zhao Hu had suddenly become a completely different person.

Huo San noticed He Yong as well.

Years had changed him enough that Huo San didn’t recognize him immediately.

But when Zhang Ran walked out, Huo San identified him at once.

Zhang Ran had barely changed at all.

“Y-you… why are you here?”

Zhang Ran ignored him completely.

Instead, he turned to Zhao Hu.

“Go wait for the ambulance at the entrance.”

It was as though Zhao Hu had received a royal decree.

Joy immediately flashed across his face.

“Yes, Brother Zhang! Right away!”

He sprinted off with astonishing speed, showing none of the sluggishness expected from a middle-aged man.

Even his subordinates were stunned.

At the same time, their gazes toward Zhang Ran became filled with curiosity and reverence.

Seeing how their boss treated this man, they instinctively straightened their backs whenever Zhang Ran looked their way.

“Who are you? What exactly do you want?”

Huo Li frowned and demanded harshly.

Zhang Ran merely glanced at him.

“Who I am is none of your concern.”

“This is our family’s private matter. We don’t need outsiders interfering,” Sun Guilan hurriedly added.

A mocking smile appeared on Zhang Ran’s lips.

“Your family matter?”

“Heh.”

“Back then, it was you who sold Huo girl with your own hands.”

“So now it’s suddenly your family matter again?”

“By your own logic, shouldn’t this be my family matter instead?”

Sun Guilan was rendered speechless.

After all, Huo Zhiyuan really had been sold to Zhang Ran years ago.

If anyone had a stronger claim now, it might actually be him.

Zhang Ran had no interest in arguing.

When the ambulance arrived and the medical staff prepared to move Huo Zhiyuan, he turned to Zhao Hu.

“Watch them. If even one person escapes, I’ll hold you responsible.”

Zhao Hu immediately stood at attention.

“Guaranteed, Brother Zhang!”

As the medical team wheeled Huo Zhiyuan away, He Yong lingered behind.

Lowering his voice, he asked Zhao Hu, “Back then… was it you who sent me that message?”

Zhao Hu paused.

Then he smiled bitterly.

“I wish I could say it was me.”

“But I don’t have the courage to lie about something like that.”

After a moment, he added, “Brother Yong… I was wrong before. Please help me ask Brother Zhang for mercy.”

He Yong replied calmly, “You should thank the brother who actually sent me that message back then.”

With that, he turned and left.

Yet Zhao Hu let out a long breath of relief.