章節 60: SHE HAD NOT FORGOTTEN
"Have you seen this man?" Hu Lei discretely passed a printed photo of her father to a motel attendant along with an old note of the local currency.
This mid-class motel was the last location that Kim Han had been able to track her father. She could not help disapproving on sight. While in some countries this type of motel would be discrete, it was not the right option in a small town in Argentina. It was the best hotel around, so it would be the obvious choice for a tourist.
Knowing her father, he had probably had been thinking of something crazy like hiding in plain sight. That would work in movies, but it was unlikely to work in a place where one's appearance was like a beacon. A rundown motel had less security measures, and most of these establishments were located in places which would provide dark routes for escape in case of an emergency.
"Oh, I remember him. We don't get a lot of people like him here." The middle-aged lady spoke tucking away the note.
"When was he here?" Hu Lei felt relieved at the confirmation, though she also wished that the man was not so easy to track down.
"I would say exactly two weeks ago." The lady's eyes lit up. "I remember his departure because some official looking people from the government came to do some checks on the same day."
Hu Lei thanked the woman and left. It seemed that this was the place where her father had supposedly left whatever he had stolen. If that was two weeks ago and he had called her about eight days ago, then it meant that these people were not serious. It was not like she was hoping for her father to have been taken. But if they were after him, they were at his heels, and they let him go.
This case was looking stranger with every step.
Fortunately, as the person who had guided Hu Ming for years, Hu Lei knew his habits and general thoughts. With this advantage, it would not be too difficult to follow her father's steps and uncover this entire debacle.
In Supreme City
Zhong Feng looked at the numerous outgoing calls that he had made to Hu Lei's phone. He had continued making these calls though he knew that her phone was out of service. When she had failed to respond to him during the week, his assumption had been that she had her own matters.
However, it was on Saturday, and they had made plans for more shopping and moving. The uneasiness that had plagued him through the week seemed to overwhelm him. He could not shake the feeling that something was not right.
Without wasting time, he left his apartment with the intention of finding Hu Lei. As he drove his vehicle out of the parking lot, his phone rang. His heart leapt in anticipation and hope. Perhaps she had not forgotten their appointment after all, he thought with a shadow of a smile.
Unfortunately, it was his mother calling.
"Feng'er, where are you? Mother has missed you." The woman spoke even before he could get in a word.
He frowned slightly before making some noncommittal sound. His entire mind was filled with crippling disappointment, and his thoughts were focussed on Hu Lei, running through the possibilities.
"This child… Why don't you come to the house today?" She asked, though Zhong Feng knew it was more of a statement.
"I have a few errands to run." He responded.
"It is no problem. You can come late and spend the evening with your family for once." The woman did not leave much room for argument.
He knew that she would keep pressing using various tactics, so it would save time if he just agreed to the request. After all, it had been a while since he had shown his face at the old residence.
After disconnecting the call, he drove straight to the Hu manor. He could have gotten someone to check on Hu Lei, but he considered her a private matter. He did not want his employees and associates involved in this type of personal business.
When he arrived, he found an older man and a middle-aged auntie sitting on the porch drinking tea. He did not know them. Every time he had dropped off Hu Lei, there had been no one else at home. The man stood quickly as soon as he parked his car outside and stepped towards the gate.
"Good afternoon, sir. Are you looking for directions?" Old Bai asked this because that flashy car did not belong in this normal neighbourhood. Most people drove regular spacious family vehicles.
"I am looking for Ms Hu Lei." Zhong Feng responded.
"You are…" the old butler did not want to provide information to a random character.
"I am Zhong Feng, Hu Lei's boss."
"Oh, why didn't you say sooner? Please come in. People call me old Bai, and that is my wife. We are the caretakers of the manor." He smiled ushering him in.
Zhong Feng accepted the invite. It was the first time he had come so close to the house. Hu Lei had always shown great resistance to him coming in. Though he did not know why, he had respected the boundary. Now, he wondered if he should have pushed more.
"Where is Hu Lei? She has not shown up at work or called in." He spoke as soon as he sat down with the old couple.
"Oh, I am so sorry. She is not an irresponsible girl. I think she had picked some habits from her father. He always used wake up and run off before showing up a few weeks later." Old Bai had a nostalgic look on his face.
"What my husband is saying is that Hu Lei left about a week ago. We were not working last weekend because the young miss dislikes disturbance when she's working. When we came on Monday, she had already left." Bai mama explained with a laugh.
"Are you not concerned that she is missing?" Zhong Feng asked coldly.
"If you are really Hu Lei's boss, you should know that she is not predictable. Also, her father had already warned us that she would soon get bored with Supreme City and go back to work with him." Old Bai seemed angry at the younger man's tone.
"I apologise. I am only concerned about Hu Lei's wellbeing." The frown of worry on his face seemed tighter.
"Do not think too much about it. If she is anything like the master, she will come back soon enough. She probably had something to do outside the country and did not think to inform you." Old Bai comforted.
"We will let her know to call you immediately when she comes back." Bai mama added with a smile. She could see that this boss cared more than normal. It seemed Hu Lei had a great admirer.
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