The Real Heiress Has an Appraisal System

She appeared calm and composed, but she was a total wreck on the inside.

’Is the He Family some kind of mafia?’

Gu Shengsheng had no choice but to ask, "What kind of cooperation are you proposing?"

"Tomorrow, there will be no appraising. The entire day is for leisure and entertainment—board games, gambling, and... beautiful women. Money can be made from every event. If Miss Gu can help me earn a hundred million, then the score between us will be settled."

"Better yet, you’ll have free rein in Beijing City from now on."

Gu Shengsheng laughed outright. "Let me get this straight. You want me to rally all the Treasure Appraisers, investors, and other suckers... to get them to gamble and spend money so you can profit? And I suppose I’d also have to act as the house for that board game to win you even more money, right?"

So, the trap of the competition was finally revealed.

The way these people made money was despicable. This was absolutely intolerable!

Gu Shengsheng’s face remained cold as she continued, "Do you think I’m insane? Helping you make money, using my influence to do something like this? How could I live with myself afterward?"

"Get lost. The He Family will get what’s coming to you sooner or later."

"I won’t cooperate. Not in a million years."

After she finished, Chairman He just laughed. "You’re nothing but a commodity... and you have the audacity to shout at your capital?"

"Even Qiu Xiaojun was willing. Why aren’t you?"

Gu Shengsheng said, "I have my own principles. What other people do is none of my business. I’m in no position to judge Qiu Xiaojun. Chairman He, let me give you a piece of advice: mind your own business!"

"Very well, Miss Gu."

"Goodbye."

With that, He Chen pushed his wheelchair out.

Gu Shengsheng knew it wouldn’t be that simple. ’I have to get out of here immediately! I can’t waste any more time on these two.’

While surveying her surroundings earlier, she had already figured out the room’s mechanism. Now, all she had to do was modify the pulley and the switch they had installed, and she could raise the room herself and escape!

But when she tried to reach for her bag, she found her hand wouldn’t move... ’What’s going on?’

A wave of heat washed over Gu Shengsheng!

Immediately, she noticed the fragrance in the air seemed to be getting stronger.

’Something’s wrong... There’s a problem... The He Family is unbelievably brazen. Are they planning to just get rid of me?’

Gu Shengsheng struggled, but when she tried to exert force, she found her strength was draining rapidly.

She tried to stand up but fell back down, her body completely limp and her breathing shallow. ’What’s happening...?’

There were no open windows, and she was still underground. Even without the strange incense, if she were trapped here for a full day, she would run out of oxygen.

Gu Shengsheng grew anxious, but there was nothing she could do.

’No, I have to calm down. Stay calm. I can’t pass out.’

She dug her nails into her own fingers, hoping the sharp pain and trickling blood would keep her conscious for a few more minutes.

—

「The Hotel.」

Lin Kai had been waiting outside Gu Shengsheng’s door since early that morning.

When he saw Gao Liu and the other two arrive without Gu Shengsheng, he asked in surprise, "Gentlemen, where is our Young Madam?"

"She was held back. Something about settling the payment, I think."

"She should be back soon."

Lin Kai then relayed this to Lu Shijing.

"Boss," he said, "Miss Gu is being held up because her payment has to go through processing, so she’ll be late. Why don’t you go ahead and order some food to celebrate with her?"

"It’s a shame something came up at headquarters today. If you hadn’t been tied up in that video conference, you could have been at the appraisal venue to bring Miss Gu back yourself."

Lu Shijing had just been searching on Google: "What foods do married Sagittarius women like?"

When he saw the message, he shot to his feet. ’Processing...’ Before he left, he had specifically instructed the staff to handle the paperwork another day and to let her rest.

’Someone must have interfered.’

He called Lin Kai. "Get to the appraisal venue. Something’s happened to Shengsheng."

Throwing on his suit jacket, he strode out of the hotel.

Lin Kai was in the driver’s seat, but before he could even speak, Lu Shijing hauled him out and tossed him into the passenger seat.

Then he ordered, "Shut up."

Just as Lin Kai buckled his seatbelt, Lu Shijing tossed him his phone. "I just had someone pull the surveillance footage. Shengsheng went into a conference room and never came out."

"The He Family."

"Keep watching. I’ll drive." It was the most he had ever said to Lin Kai at one time.

Lin Kai didn’t get a chance to say a word before the car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. It was a Rolls-Royce sedan, but Lu Shijing was driving it like a sports car.

Lin Kai clutched his seatbelt and howled in terror.

"Oh god! I’m gonna die!"

"Boss, how am I supposed to look at the phone in this situation?"

’I’m already about to throw up. Watching the video is just going to make it worse!’

By the time the car screeched to a halt, they were at the entrance of the castle. Lu Shijing snatched his phone back and made a call. "Lu Qi, has the team arrived?"

"Boss, they’re ten minutes out."

"Understood. Come straight here. I’m going in to get her." Lu Shijing paid no mind to Lin Kai’s sorry state, striding into the castle by himself.

Lin Kai stumbled after him, looking half-dead. He was worried sick about the Young Madam, but he couldn’t help feeling a little thrilled. ’Maybe the couple I’m shipping is actually becoming real.’

’The boss even called for Ah Qi... I can’t even imagine how badly the He Family is going to lose this round...’

’They’d better pray nothing happens to the Young Madam.’

When Lu Shijing reached the conference room door, he saw He Chen standing outside, bragging to someone.

He Chen looked completely baffled when he saw him, not recognizing the man at all.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? This is a restricted area!"

"Ryan." After saying his name, he grabbed He Chen by the collar and threw him into a glass partition.

Glass shattered everywhere, and He Chen screamed in pain.

Lin Kai picked up a shard of glass and sat on top of He Chen.

"Go on, Boss," he said. "I’ve got this."

Lu Shijing pressed a switch and entered the underground level through another entrance.

The conference room Gu Shengsheng was in had been locked tight.

When he reached the underground level, he found it deserted, but it was scorching hot.

Someone had set a fire, and it was raging.

He cursed under his breath and ran toward the most intense heat.

Although he had never been here before, he knew it was where the He Family conducted their dirty business. He was clever enough to navigate the maze of secret passages, immediately taking the most direct route.

His entire life, he had always been a master strategist, in complete control. He had never been this worried about another person before.

Now, his mind was consumed with anxiety for her, leaving no room for anything else.

Finally, three minutes later!

Lu Shijing saw the door to the conference room. He ran over and kicked it several times, trying to break it down.

He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Gu Shengsheng!"

"Gu Shengsheng!"

"Shengsheng..."

Gu Shengsheng had already reached her limit. They had poured gasoline everywhere. The spot where she lay was the only area not engulfed in flames.

She had never experienced anything like this in her life.

It was hot. The air was scorching, and her body felt like it was on fire.

They hadn’t set her on fire directly; it was more like a show of force, a warning. The air was growing thinner and thinner.

Gu Shengsheng grew dizzier, collapsing to the floor and losing consciousness for a time.

"So cold... so hot..."

She didn’t know what kind of incense they had used. She felt both cold and hot, and her skin felt as if it were being crawled on by a million ants.

Her consciousness began to fade, and she started muttering to herself:

"It hurts... Mom, it hurts so much."

"But I don’t have a mom... Shengsheng doesn’t have a mom..."

"What am I going to do? What should I do...?"

Her last words were choked with deep, heart-wrenching sobs.

The physical torment caused her to drift in and out of consciousness. In her most vulnerable moment, she realized she had no one to rely on.

She was in the inferno, and from the very beginning, she had always been alone, scorched by the flames...

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